THE U.S. PROMOTES ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development and Demonstration Act of 1976 authorizes a Federally funded program to promote relevant technologies and to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of such vehicles. The Act calls for a 2-part demonstration program, and a program of financial incentives involving planning grants and loan guarantees to vehicle manufacturers. Areas where significant technological advancements are required before electric/hybrid vehicles can enter the consumer market in large quantities are listed: batteries, propulsion systems, manufacturing processes. The goal of electric vehicle systems development efforts is to produce a battery with a 300-percent increase in energy density and a 100 percent increase in cycle life as compared with lead/acid battery performance. Candidate hybrid (propelled by a combination of an electric and an internal combustion engine) approaches are undergoing systematic analysis to develop specifications for vehicles that will be fabricated and demonstrated in 3 years.