Oh Google, how you love the hybrids

A nod to Google from Clayton B. Cornell over at Gas 2.0.  You walk through their parking lot and it's like Prius daycare.  It'll be interesting to see if they help spur the move toward plug-ins, etc.

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As usual, Google is at the forefront of, well, everything. But this one is a little surprising: their philanthropic branch, Google.org, is putting $10 million into plug-in electric hybrid research and real-world testing. If you’ve been reading Gas 2.0 lately, you already know that’s as much as will be rewarded to the winners of the 2010 Automotive X Prize for revolutionary green car technology.

 

Last September, Google offered up the $10 million in a formal Request For Proposals (RFP), saying they wanted to invest in any company that would “accelerate the commercialization of alternative transportation that reduces vehicle fossil fuel use and climate emissions.” In other words, getting plug-in hybrids, fully electric vehicles, vehicle-to-grid capabilities, and batteries and other storage technologies on the market.

 

(To read the rest, head on over to Gas 2.0)

Google is cool :-)

I remember reading about the incentives they give their employees to purchase or lease hybrids.  I'm sure it has a huge impact on what their employees choose to drive.  I don't know if this is still the case (any Google employees out there?), but at least they used to give all their employees a $5,000 subsidy towards a hybrid.  It's mentioned in the following article (but it's a bit old):

 

hybridcars.com/corporate-incentives.html

 

Pretty cool.  That link also lists several other companies that help their employees out.  Bank of America, Clif Bar and Patagonia are a few of the companies mentioned.

Google is cool. =)

 

The incentives for purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles have changed in 2008 to incorporate new technologies.  Prior to 2008, Google offered a taxable subsidy of $5000 on commercially available hybrids (45+ mpg).  Currently, Google offers $1000 for hybrids, $2000 for plug-in hybrids, and $4000 for electric vehicles.  Obviously there are few choices available in the latter categories, but Google is trying to stay ahead of the curve.