Google offers $10 million to 'sustainable transportation' firms

Google is earmarking more greenbacks to make cars greener.

The nonprofit arm of the Web search giant, Google.org, on Wednesday issued a $10 million request for proposal from companies involved in commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and other forms of sustainable transportation.

The RFP process--to be done entirely online--is meant to accelerate development of cleaner forms of transportation at a large scale in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Google.org.

Google intends to invest between $500,000 and $2 million in companies that are approved and will not take up position on those firms' boards.

Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page plug their wheels into the grid.

(Credit: Google)

It is looking for "for-profit companies whose innovative approach, team and technologies will enable widespread commercialization of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, electric vehicles and/or vehicle-to-grid solutions," according to the RFP.

Submissions can be anything from battery technologies to services that encourage plug-in hybrids. The proposals will be reviewed by Google employees and experts in the field.

In June of this year, Google launched RechargeIT, a program to convert company cars to plug-in hybrids, which can be recharged and potentially feed power back into the electricity grid during times of high demand. The company has also installed a large 1.6-megawatt solar array and dedicated $1 million to nonprofit groups working to address global warming.

"While $10 million is a fraction of the total investment needed to transform our transportation sector, we hope this RFP will help catalyze a broader response. We need the automakers to bring these cars to market, but plug-in vehicles also need an entire ecosystem of companies (to) flourish," Google said in a statement.

Despite Google's enthusiasm for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, there still are very few commercial options for the average consumer. Typically, customers need to retrofit plug-in hybrids for several thousand dollars, though some automakers are now working on plug-in hybrids.

A recent study from the Electric Power Research Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council concluded that vehicles that draw part of their power from the electricity grid pollute less than conventional cars.

Submissions are due by October 22, 2007.

[Sea of Cortez]

That is nothing, Anoox is giving 100% profits away

Google giving 0.25% of its profit away is nothing but a publicity stunt to hide the fact that they are a money grubbing, profit hungry, Conglomerate<br />that is making its money at the expense of HIGH advertising costs from countless of small businesses, like my own.<br /><br />You want to see a real search engine give away, check out AnooX:<br />www.anoox.com<br />They are giving 100% of their profits away:<br />* 50% to Organizations working toward Universal Health Care <br />* 50% to Organizations that WE suggest<br /><br />And along with that they offer search engine Advertising that is far less costly than Google because they are operated as a Not-profit-motivated model. I know this from hands on experience since we advertise through <br />Anoox and have saved $1000s of per month as a result.

[dindatx]

telecommute?

Still don't understand why Google doesn't allow more <br />telecommuting from it's huge Bay Area workforce and other areas. <br />They insist on most of their employees commuting into their <br />worldwide office when so much of the force could forego cars <br />altogether by working remotely. Strange priorities, I suppose.

[EugeniaJ]

Stats used

Hi. I've used some stats from this article at numberpedia.org.<br /><a href="http://www.numberpedia.org/save/public/google_offers_%2410_million_to_sustainable_transportation_firms">here</a><br />Thank You.

[theBike45]

Have money, no have sense

Google's stupidity outside the internet search arena continues to amaze. Do they really believe that a plug-in owner is stupid enough to allow<br />the local utility to deplete their lifetime recharge battery cycles? I think Battery 101 should be a required course for the auto technology challenged folks over at Google. Hey, Google - the only new technology we need to build a practical electric car is a good, inexpensive battery. Got that? A battery. Got that, Google? <br />A battery. It's a device that stores electricity,<br />understand?

[stumiller]

since when is "the grid" green?

Last time I checked, the US generated over 50% of its electricity by burning coal. So how can you call an electric car "green"?