Biden visits Recovery Act grantee; Obama aims to have 1 million electric vehicles by 2015
Thursday
Jan 27, 2011
US Vice President Joe Biden visited Ener1, Inc. Wednesday to announce the in-depth plan to push further the production of electric vehicles.
Headquartered in Greenfield, Indiana, Ener1 is a manufacturer of advanced batteries specifically made for electric vehicles and energy storage.
Last year, Ener1 received a $118-million grant from the Department of Energy in line with the $2.4 billion Recovery Act investment in electric vehicles. With 120 new employees, Ener1 is now more involved and committed to Obama’s concern about EV’s.
Three years ago, US President Barack Obama raised the concern of having the United States of America as the first country to put one million electric cars on the road by the year 2015. In Tuesday night, he said it again during the State of the Union.
It is a promising move for the administration to broaden the goal of the President and do everything to achieve it.
[via Hybrid Cars | image credit: David Lienemann]
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act signed into law; requires hybrid and electric vehicles to emit noises for pedestrians
Friday
Jan 7, 2011
US President Barack Obama has signed into law the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 that requires hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles to emit noises that can be heard by the pedestrians and blind.
This must be done in order to avoid accidents involving pedestrians and blind struck by vehicles that run quietly.
Former presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John Kerry introduced this legislation that directs the Secretary of Transportation to work on the minimum level of sound that must be emitted from motor vehicle to warn the pedestrians and blind of the presence of traveling motor vehicles.
This is the first auto safety legislation that was turned into a law since Obama took the presidential seat in 2009.
[via Coal Geology]