Felix Leach (2005, Engineering Sciences) publishes Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green

Alumnus Felix Leach (2005, Engineering Sciences) has published Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green with co-author, Kelly Senecal.

As an Associate Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, as well as a Fellow and Tutor in Engineering Science at Keble College, Leach’s current research interests include the emissions and efficiency of thermal propulsion engines. Leach has spent time leading projects with Oxford City Council and Oxford Bus Company to measure emissions from in-service buses, in addition to founding the annual Oxford Air Quality Meeting. Sustainable transportation remains one of Leach’s passions and is the subject area of his latest book.

Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green is about the process of and the issues inherent in the development of sustainable travel. This is not simply a question of the production of electric vehicles, which Senecal and Leach argue is not, in fact, a sure-fire way to ensure sustainable travel. Instead, reducing our emissions is about finding a balanced and mixed approach to transportation. As both authors say, ‘the future is eclectic’, harnessing the best qualities of both combustion and electrification.

Racing Toward Zero argues for the improvement of the technology surrounding the internal combustion engine and its fuel, pointing out that the shift to a global majority of electric vehicles is unlikely to come soon enough. Leach and Senecal argue their case for reducing emissions as quickly as possible through an eclectic, not solely electric, path towards a green future.

John Johnson, Presidential Professor Emeritus at Michigan Tech, said Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green “is a must-read for all people interested in the technology that will power future passenger cars.” Professor John Heywood, MIT, said that “with transportation at a crisis point, this book offers an insightful and realistic take on achieving sustainable mobility.”

Find out more about Racing Toward Zero.