Google`s Environmental Endeavors - Plug-in Hybrids
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One of the first things Google decided to invest in was a green transportation initiative, plunking down $!0 million for research and development of plug-in hybrid vehicles. As you might guess, they are the same as conventional hybrids except that the batteries can be recharged by connecting a plug to a power source. The exact definition, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, would require them to have a battery storage system of at least 4 kW/h to power the vehicle, a means of charging from an external source, and be capable of traveling at least 10 miles in all-electric mode (no gasoline used).
Plug-ins greatly reduce the amount of gasoline needed to power a vehicle. The total cost to operate plug-in hybrids has been estimated at more than 75 percent less than if you used gasoline, and they are capable of using no fossil fuel if the batteries are charged from a renewable energy source. As of now the plug-in hybrid is in the production stage with Toyota, GM, and Ford being the only major auto makers intending to produce them. Can you imagine yourself driving to work or the store and the parking lot is filled with individual plug-in stations for your car?
(Toyota Prius with hybrid plug-in conversion)
Google has been investing into nonprofit organizations' research and development (over $1 million), but this is the first time they've embarked into private sector funding. The whole endeavor, called Recharge IT, involves accepting proposals to accelerate plug-in hybrid development. Google has already created test fleets with plug-in adapters and tested them against their conventional hybrid counterparts. Check the results here.
The Google RFP (request for proposals) is not only for the research and development of plug-in hybrids but includes fully electric vehicles and any kind of vehicle-to-grid solutions. They are even willing to accept proposals for efficient battery and storage technology. Google issued this statement:
While $10 million is a fraction of the total investment needed to transform our transportation sector, we hope the RFP will help catalyze a broader response.
Within the company itself, Google offers their employees in the San Fransisco Bay area a company-sponsored shuttle service, which more than 1500 employees use. The service provides transportation throughout the city. The company also offers a rebate to employees that purchase vehicles of a certain fuel-efficiency standard. So far, several hundred employees have taken advantage of this opportunity.
Please keep reading to find out more about Google's broader environmental endeavors, going beyond the transportation sector, which makes up just 20 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. That's nothing to sneeze at, but it's still leaving out 80 percent of the problem. Google to the rescue!
Next: Renewable Energy >>
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