pluginaustin

Hybrid Flex-Fuel Vehicles

Austin Chronicle
March 10, 2005

The Austin City Council voted last Thursday to establish a financial incentive program for plug-in hybrid flex-fuel vehicles, which the city will begin testing in late 2006. The city wants to buy a large number of plug-ins, which can go all day on a single charge – without using any petroleum.

The project, developed by Austin Energy, seeks to electrify the transportation grid and in a broader context, unify the transportation and utility sectors.

In conjunction with Austin Energy's GreenChoice program, the project seeks to both reduce emissions and fuel consumption, and also take advantage of GreenChoice's peak supply of West Texas winds by plugging the vans in at night when the winds are strongest.

Austin will try to influence the 50 largest cities in the country to institute similar plug-in programs in order to actually create a nationwide market for the vehicles before they hit showrooms. – Daniel Mottola

posted by AE @ 3:33 PM