Google Building Hybrid Cars

Google is now taking its carbon neutral policy one step further by aligning itself with other companies and producing hybrid electric cars that get their energy source from solar grids. The Mountain View, CA search giant has entered into the electric car business by applying technology that it claims can extend a vehicle’s range up to 70-100 miles compared to one gallon of gasoline. Google engineers have come up with a modified Toyota (looks like a Prius), and added battery storage to extend the range of the vehicle. Unfortunately, the vehicle still has a gasoline engine just in case it is needed.

Google, on its site, describes the vehicle as:

Today Google.org is launching an exciting project that offers a glimpse of a smarter energy future: cars that plug into an electric grid powered by solar energy. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (“plug-in hybrids”) can achieve 70 -100 miles per gallon, quadrupling the fuel economy of the average car on the road today (~20 mpg). As we demonstrated at today’s event, plug-in hybrids can sell power back to the electric grid when it’s needed most through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

As you may know, one of Google.org’s core missions is to address climate change. In the U.S., transportation contributes about one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions –- with more than 60 percent of those emissions coming from personal vehicles. By accelerating the adoption of plug-in hybrids and vehicle-to-grid (”V2G”) technologies, this new project, RechargeIT.org, aims to reduce emissions and dependence on oil while promoting clean energy technologies and increasing consumer choice. Linking the U.S. transportation system to the electricity grid maximizes the efficiency of our energy system. From these efforts, we believe the environment will benefit — and consumers will have more choices to fuel their cars.

I applaud the folks at Google for not only recognizing the importance of seeking alternative methods to propel vehicles on our roadways, but also testing vehicles and improving the technology behind hybrids. It should be interesting to see how the auto industry looks at Google’s efforts. We can’t forget the oil companies and the way they may view this latest Google venture as well.

And you thought Google was just a search company.

Comments welcome.

Full Google article here.

[tags]google, hybrid, cars, alternative energy[/tags]