Noel Perrin, Dartmouth college professor and farmer, decides to switch from his gas-guzzling truck to an electric car for his daily commute. Not being inclined to convert a vehicle himself he turns to Solar Electric to buy a car. This book tells his story as he takes “Solo” across the country from California to Vermont. Initially he’d planned to drive Solo across the country but soon learns that his plan isn’t going to work the way he thought. He ends up spending much of the time towing Solo behind a pickup. At each stop he’s able to take Solo out to explore the town. It’s an enjoyable book to read. Once back in Vermont he talks about how Solo works as a commuter car and looks at the pollution savings. Along the way he also talks about the history of electric cars.
I really like this book. There’s a newer edition from 1994 that’s supposed to update things a bit — but of course it’s ten years out of date now. I also discovered that Perrin has several books on farming starting with First Person Rural that I’d like to read one of these days. Most of the books seem to be out-of-print but are available used.
