US DOE Supporting EVs and Creating Jobs

The Department of Energy (DOE) is working to increase the adoption rate of EVs. In April, 2011, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu indicated that he believes it will be possible for vehicles to travel up to 500 miles on a single charge by the end of the decade. He further indicated that batteries, will be “one-third the cost of today’s batteries but have at least three times the range.”

With funding from the DOE, the ChargePoint America network have installed over 500 electric-vehicle charging stations. These stations are being installed by Coulomb Technologies, a company based in Campbell, California. In 2010 Coulomb received $15 million from the Department of Energy, and $22 million in private funds, to install 4,600 chargers across the country by the end of 2011.

“The Department of Energy is happy to be a part of this, but more importantly we’re very happy to be really trying to push for the electrification of vehicles,” Chu said. “The reason is very simple. We have to diversify our transportation energy.”

Chu sited increasing oil demand from developing countries like China. This burgeoning demand will also put pressure on the world’s limited oil supplies, which will in turn push gas prices higher. China sold 16.7 million vehicles in 2010 and will sell 20 million cars annually within the next couple of years. By comparison, the US sold 12 million cars in 2010.

The DOE is also funding research that will drop the cost of electric-vehicle batteries 50% in the next three or four years and double or triple their energy density within six years. According to Chu, the goal is “a car that will cost $20,000 to $25,000 without a subsidy where you can go 350 miles.”

Chu is working to change the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicle purchases to a $7,500 rebate, so EV buyers can get an immediate discount on an EV purchase. Currently, they have to wait until they file their tax returns.

Investments in battery research through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help build 30 new US battery manufacturing plants that create jobs.

“Every time we ship one of these [charging stations], three people go to work for a day: one to build it and two people to install it,” said Coulomb Technologies President Richard Lowenthal. “It’s a great job creation benefit to all of us…. Not just jobs, but creating an industry.”