Primary Research for The Paper: For the paper, my analysis was the main primary research conducted. I found costs of cars, energy rates, energy rates and a variety of other figures and used these in many different calculations that were toward the overall analysis of the cost and environmental comparison of the electric and gasoline vehicle. Additionally, I had a lengthy phone interview with Ozzie Zehner, a visiting scholar at Northwestern University and author of (among other books and articles) "unclean at any speed" a critique of electric vehicles. From the interview I learned all about his viewpoints and his concerns with electric vehicles and the electric vehicle industry.
Primary Research for The Build Project: For my build project I have done various experiments and a smaller initial build project to be more prepared and experienced for the moped build project. One of the experiments was to find the drag and friction =, the losses (forces opposing motion) of a bicycle. I did this experiment because bicycles are quite similar to mopeds and the having a drive system that can overcome the drag or losses faced by vehicle by having enough power in the motor is essential to be able to travel at one's desired top speed. Also, I finished an engineering project from Junior year, an electric go-cart. I built the body of the go-cart last year however did not finish the electrical engineering and wiring because I did not have nearly as much experience in that field. This year, I completed the electrical engineering and wiring and learned many lessons about electrical engineering from it that will be useful when completing my electric moped.