FEDERAL AND STATE INCENTIVES HEIGHTEN CONSUMER INTEREST IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Since mid‐1970s, the federal government has provided funding for research into battery and vehicle technologies that could provide an alternative to the gasoline‐powered engine. Federal tax credits for purchasing an electric vehicle, grants and loans to vehicle and parts manufacturers, and greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations have contributed to the evolution of federal support for electric vehicles. Despite major advancements in electric vehicles in the past 40 years, one factor remains elusive: a safe, inexpensive, high energy density battery. The federal role in seeking such a battery technology supplements similar research by domestic (and foreign) automakers. This chapter reviews federal and state efforts to the advance the U.S. electric vehicle and vehicle battery industries. It also reviews government efforts to spur interest in a range of electric vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug‐in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), extended range electric vehicles (EREVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).