Congress approves three-wheelers for DOE funds
Filed under: Government/Legal
Aptera 2e final design rendering - Click above to enlarge
Following months of debate, Congress has approved a bill that will pave the way for three-wheeled vehicle manufacturers like Aptera to qualify for funding from the Department of Energy. Next step: President Obama’s desk, and the Commander-in-Chief is reportedly expected to sign the bill into law in short order. Rep. Brian Bilbray, a Republican from California who co-sponsored the bill, says:
This is a huge win for scientific innovation and the environment. We need more innovation and less regulation when it comes to promoting new ways to save energy while saving money at the pump.
Indeed, three-wheeled vehicle platforms sometimes have the potential to use less energy to operate than their four-wheeled siblings, though some still question the inherent safety of such designs. Assuming the bill passes the President’s desk, any manufacturer of enclosed three-wheeled vehicles that can carry at least two adults while returning at least 75 miles per gallon will be eligible for funding, though the DOE will still approve applications on a case-by-case basis.
Gallery: Aptera
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]
Congress approves three-wheelers for DOE funds originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-friend-via, brazilian, breaking, brian-bilbray, congress, department of energy, departmentofenergy, follow-the-jump, less-regulation, potential, president-obama, sings-at-the, though-the-doe, three-wheel, three-wheeledcar
REPORT: Energy Secretary Chu - "I would put every cent into electric cars"
Oct 14, 2009 Object
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has a penchant for making some straightforward statements about energy policy. He’s said that electric vehicles are inevitable, for example, and that all American cars should be E85-capable. Recently, he apparently said that “if it were up to me, I would put every cent into electric cars.”
This quote, which was relayed by unnamed alternative energy developers who were at a recent meeting on alternative fuels, is sure to stir up the whole hydrogen vs. plug-in cars debate that’s been going on since the DOE slashed H2 funding in May. The Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee responded by marking up the FY 2010 DOE budget and restoring the hydrogen vehicle funding.
If Chu did say what it’s reported that he said, then it should be clear that it isn’t an official reversal of the Senate’s work. It just shows that there are some serious disagreements in Washington about how to best fund the future - and what that future should be. But the DOE is in charge of some big things and, this year, it has handed out billions in loan guarantees for plug-in vehicles, including money for Ford ($5.9 billion), Nissan ($1.6 billion), Tesla Motors ($465 million) and Fisker ($528 million).
[Source: Biofuels Digest]
REPORT: Energy Secretary Chu - “I would put every cent into electric cars” originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: 2010equinox, biofuels-digest, chevrolet, competition, crossovers-cuvs, department of energy, energy-steven, entry, family, general-motors, senate-energy, stephen chu, stephenchu, tesla motors
