Driving the Future: Combating Climate Change with Cleaner, Smarter Cars

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Now in paperback, with a new foreword by Fred Krupp, an expert’s illuminating preview of the cleaner, lighter, smarter cars of the future.

In Driving the Future, Margo T. Oge portrays a future where clean, intelligent vehicles with lighter frames and alternative power trains will produce zero emissions and run at 100+ mpg. With electronic architectures more like those of airplanes, cars will be smarter and safer, will park themselves, and will network with other vehicles on the road to drive themselves. As the director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Oge was the chief architect behind the Obama administration’s landmark 2012 deal with automakers in the US market to double the fuel efficiency of their fleets and to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2025. This was America’s first formal climate action using regulation to reduce emissions through innovation in car design.

Offering an insider account of the partnership between federal agencies, California, environmental groups, and car manufacturers that led to the historic deal, Margo discusses the science of climate change, the politics of addressing it, and the lessons learned for policy makers. She also takes the reader through the convergence of macro trends that will drive this innovation over the next forty years and be every bit as transformative as those wrought by Karl Benz and Henry Ford. Driving the Future is for anyone who wants to know what car they’ll be driving in ten, twenty, or thirty years—and for everyone concerned about air quality and climate change now.

Our Top Reviews

Reviewer: Nik AT
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Insightful: Past, present and future (3 part review)
Review: I bought this book with the intent of learning more about the transformation of policy and regulation within the automotive industry and seeking an expert’s view of the future of the Transportation sector. I work in Oil and Gas, the private side.In the first section, Margo Oge delivers beyond my expectations a very tantalizing view into the beginning of the automotive industry, challenges with mega-city pollution and a unique introduction to climate change (before automobiles and modern day).In the second section, I was blown away from the inside view into the bureaucracy and politics that go into putting out good policies and gaining consensus from private industry. I was also impressed by how Oge worked with stakeholders to accomplish these regulations with little legal ramifications from the private sector. In fact she goes on to highlight that by being progressive, the EPA created jobs in the private sector, pioneering innovation through agriculture and automotive technologies. At first unbelievable, but after reading this book, I believe her group is a unique group in the EPA as they effectively created private jobs. I am shaking my head as I write this…unbelievable…I am very impressed.In the third section, I turned the pages with ease as Oge lays out the future of “autonomous automobiles.” The future she envisions, and the road map she delivers are stitched together seamlessly. Expert intuition based on 30+ years. Thank you for the insight.O&G, you should pick up this book and give special attention to section three.

Reviewer: Allen R.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Insider’s view
Review: A fine retrospective and insider’s view of the making of government regulations on fuel efficiency; some perspectives on the future as well.

Reviewer: Deron Lovaas
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Looking back & peering at the road ahead
Review: The first half and last chapter of this book are outstanding! These are the inside stories of two decades of regulatory battles fought, with exhilarating success or exasperating loss, by a leader of one of the most effective programs at EPA. The book flows like a novel in its first half as the author chronicles her historic professional accomplishments.The next chapters examine the future of mobility and the factors driving it, and are fine and readable as well.But the last chapter, where the author takes a more personal approach again and describes the lessons she’s learned in her impressive career trajectory, is worth its weight in gold.In sum, there’s a lot to recommend here for aspiring policymakers or wonks who want to make a difference, as told by one of the brightest stars in the clean transportation world.

Reviewer: Constantine Bayz
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Must Read for anyone concerned about Our Environment
Review: Hi Margo, Here is my review that I am submitting to Amazon today.I had the rare good fortune of attending Margo Oge’s lecture at Prose and Politics Washington, DC. Naturally, after the mind-boggling lecture I purchased her book and examined it myself. It was quite a revelation. Excited by the book and wanting to share my new found knowledge, I bought copies for my son and some close friends.Driving the Future by Margo Oge far exceeded my expectations. It reminded me of Ralph Nader’s Unsafe at Any Speed. Her book has the potential to revolutionize our approach to how we view our transportation and how we can protect our environment. It shocked and amazed me how much can be done now and in the future to accomplish this. She is like a prophet form the Old Testament informing us of our past mistakes and how we can prevent from making them in the future.With her scientific knowledge and firsthand experience how government and industry operate she has shown us the way to break the logjam of not making the necessary corrections. The rest of us as citizens need to follow through and heed her advise

Reviewer: Sebastian de Meel
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: What a great book, easy to read and very informative
Review: What a great book, easy to read and very informative!Climate change is one of the biggest issues facing the globe. Margo takes the reader through how the recent EPA air quality standards were created and written into law to help combat climate change. This was only done through a combination of industry, government, researchers, and dedicated employees from the EPA. This great example where multiple, seemingly divergent, stakeholders can work together to make a difference with significant economic and societal benefits. Hopefully, the book inspires the next round of collaboration/ innovation between industry and government to tackle our biggest challenges.

Reviewer: Brainupso
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The writing is clear and presents a great team effort to move forward
Review: In these times of fear and lies been spread without facts been checked it is extremely important to learn the history of where we were and why things changed to where we are now. This book explains the science behind the policies and shows how a team worked together with industry and leadership to help us all breathe better. It is a must rad if you want to become informed on how our current world works.

Reviewer: SamIAm
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I got it done!
Review: Wow. I thought the author might pull her arm out of its socket patting herself on the back so vigorously. I think there is a good story in here about how to get some things done in Washington, by avoiding Congress, but it seems like the author goes out of her way to make herself the hero despite all the obstacles. The maligning of the car companies and several political opponents seemed unnecessary as well – these are the people she needs on her side. I was between 2 and 3 stars, but the description for 3 was “It’s okay,” while 2 is “I don’t like it” – and 2 fits better.

Reviewer: Vaughan P
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Brilliant read, and one that we should all take to heart.

Reviewer: Gordon S.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A sometimes hard, but very worthwhile read. Mainly concerned with the United States EPA (environmental protection agency) slow but successful efforts to change primarily the auto industry.It will leave with a good feeling about the future!

Price effective as of Jun 25, 2025 20:51:25 UTC

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