Google Launches RechargeIT: 100+ PHEVs, $1M Grants, $10M Investments
Jun 19, 2007 (From the CalCars-News archive)

Many people have been waiting to see what would come next from
Silicon Valley on PHEVs. Today at a public/ media briefing,
Google.org and Google.com announced broad plans, introduced the first
cars in its PHEV fleet, and gave a live demonstration of
vehicle-to-grid using its massive solar installation.

The program, called RechargeIT ("Recharge a Car, Recharge the Grid,
Recharge the Planet," is at <http://www.rechargeit.org>. Start there
with a live map of the data from our page, "Where PHEVs are." Then
see a five-minute video, "Recharge a Car," running on YouTube,
including Google.org's Larry Brilliant and Dan Reicher , Google's
Alec Proudfoot, CalCarsFormer CIA Director James Woolsey, Plug In
America's Chelsea Sexton of Plug In America and University of
Delaware Prof. Willet Kempton. Then look around at data on Google's
cars and much more background information.

This is an extremely significant development, with some breakthrough
partnerships. We'll have more to say later, and look soon for event
photos at CalCars.org. To start, here's the official announcement:

Google Launches RechargeIT Plug-In Hybrid Car Initiative and Unveils
Solar Installation
Google.org to Fund More Than $10 Million to Accelerate Plug-In Hybrid
and Vehicle-to-Grid Technology
June 18, 2007 05:05 PM EDT

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Google.org, the philanthropic
arm of Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), today announced the RechargeIT
initiative <http://www.google.org/recharge> that aims to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and oil dependence by accelerating the
adoption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles ("plug-ins"). As part of
this initiative, Google.org awarded $1 million in grants and
announced plans for a $10 million request for proposals (RFP) to fund
development, adoption and commercialization of plug-ins, fully
electric cars and related vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

In addition, Google Inc. announced that it has switched on the solar
panel installation at its Mountain View, Calif. headquarters, which
will help the company reduce its environmental footprint and power
its plug-ins with clean solar electricity. At 1.6 megawatts -- and
with an electricity output capable of powering approximately 1,000
average California homes -- the Google project is the largest solar
installation to date on any corporate campus in the United States and
one of the largest on any corporate site in the world.

At today's event, Google teamed with PG&E to demonstrate the
bi-directional flow of electricity between plug-ins and the electric
grid. "Clean energy technology can dramatically shift how we make and
use energy for our cars and homes by charging cars through an
electric grid powered by solar or other renewable energy sources, and
selling power back to the electric grid when it's needed most. This
approach can quadruple the fuel efficiency of cars on the road today
and improve grid stability," said Dr. Larry Brilliant, Executive
Director of Google.org.

The RechargeIT Initiative includes several elements designed to
advance plug-in development and commercialization, including:

-- Grants: Google.org announced grants to the following organizations:

-- Brookings Institution <http://www.brookings.edu>: $200,000 to
support a spring 2008 conference on federal policy to promote
plug-ins;

-- CalCars <http://www.calcars.org>: $200,000 to support its work
to educate the public about plug-ins;

-- Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI)
<http://www.epri.org>: $200,000 to support its plug-in research
and development program;

-- Plug-In America <http://www.pluginamerica.org>: $100,000 to
raise public awareness and advocate for plug-in transportation;

-- Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) <http://www.RMI.org>: $200,000
to enable RMI to launch the design of a practical plug-in
hybrid electric vehicle, with additional support and
collaboration by Alcoa, Johnson Controls, and the Turner
Foundation;

-- Dr. Willett Kempton, University of Delaware
<http://www.ocean.udel.edu/cms/wkempton>: $150,000 for megawatt
scale vehicle-to-grid research and implementation planning.

-- $10M RFP: Later this summer Google.org will publish a formal
request for proposals (RFP) on our website, focused on investment
opportunities in companies and projects accelerating the
commercialization of alternative transportation that reduces
vehicle fossil fuel use and climate emissions. We are looking to
invest approximately $10 million in technologies and companies
featuring plug in hybrids, fully electric vehicles, vehicle-to-grid
capabilities, batteries and other storage technologies, and the
application of renewable energy and fuels to green vehicles. We
believe that our investments in green vehicle technology
commercialization, coupled with additional R&D and policy grants,
will help accelerate progress in addressing the climate and energy
challenges of today's transportation sector.

-- Plug-In Data Project: To demonstrate the potential of this new
technology, Google has partnered with A123Systems/Hymotion to
convert a small fleet of hybrid cars into plug-ins and published
preliminary performance data at <http://www.google.org/recharge>. The
experimental fleet of plug-in Prius models has averaged 74mpg to
date, compared with 41mpg for the test fleet of non-plug-in Prius
hybrids.

-- Google Fleet: Through a partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the
Google Fleet is a program designed to support alternative commuting
through a free car-sharing program that will be offered to Google
employees. The program will eventually expand to include 100
plug-ins as they become available.

"Google is committed to using its resources to help solve the global
climate challenge," said Dr. Brilliant. "Google.org is a hybrid
philanthropy, bringing together the active engagement of the broader
Google corporation, as well as investments in for-profits,
traditional grants, policy work, and public information. RechargeIT
brings together all of these elements to help accelerate progress on
plug-ins. By demonstrating new clean energy technologies and how they
can be connected to the grid, we hope to spur demand and encourage
car manufacturers to make these vehicles commercially available on a
large scale on an urgent basis."

Today's news closely follows Google's sponsorship of the Climate
Savers Computing Initiative <http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org>,
which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting aggressive
new targets for energy-efficient computers. Climate Savers and
today's RechargeIT illustrate Google's commitment to reduce its
environmental impact as a company and to protect the environment.

About Google.org
Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, uses the power of
information to help people better their lives. We develop and invest
in tools and partnerships that can help bring shared knowledge to
bear on the world's most pressing challenges in the areas of climate
change, economic development and global health. For more information,
visit <http://www.google.org>.

About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people
around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by
Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a
top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted
advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable
results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google
is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the
Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit <http://www.google.com>.

Google and Google.org are trademarks of Google Inc. in the United
States and/or other countries. All other company and product names
may be trademarks of respective companies with which they are associated.

Contacts: see original BusinessWire URL:
<http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&n\
ewsId=20070618006367&newsLang=en>