Department of Energy partners with Google to promote electric vehicles

As part of the US administration's efforts to reduce U.S. oil imports by one-third by 2025, the US Department of Energy has announced new funding and partnership with Google to promote electric vehicles.

This includes the availability of $5 million in new funding for community-based efforts to deploy electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and charging stations. He also outlined a partnership with Google Inc. and more than 80 EV stakeholders to help consumers find charging stations nationwide, the statement said.

The Department of Energy's Clean Cities initiative is bringing together local governments and industry to demonstrate the benefits of advanced technology vehicles and help communities use less oil and gasoline to power their vehicles, US Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu said.

The initiatives announced today are just the latest steps in our broader efforts to reduce America's dependence on oil, improve our energy security, and save families and businesses money, he added.

Under the $5 million in electric vehicle funding announced today, local governments and private companies will partner to apply for funding to help accelerate installation of electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure. Communities will work to develop plans and strategies for EV deployment, update their EV permitting processes, develop incentive programs, or launch other local or regional initiatives that improve the experience of EV users and help bring these highly energy-efficient vehicles in the marketplace, it added.