Who Revived the Electric Car?

This week in Indiana, President Obama announced the financial recipients of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Forty-eight advanced battery and electric drive projects were awarded various amounts from $2.5 million for the University of Michigan for education programs all the way to $299.2 million for Johnson Controls’ production of battery cells. The projects were chosen by the Department of Energy from three categories: manufacturers of batteries and components, manufacturers of electric drive components, and grants to purchase vehicles for test demonstrations. This huge financial boon marks “the single largest investment in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric drive vehicles ever made.” Check out the complete list of awards here and a map of the distribution here.

Image: "charger" by drwhimsy on Flickr courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.