Fed Handing Out Grants for Hybrids

Seattle received $1.4 million in federal grant money to purchase 15 diesel electric hybrid trucks.  The money will also go towards equipping city-owned properties with electric charging stations.  $500,000 of the grant will go towards the electric charging station, with the rest being used to pay for the trucks.

It's estimated the diesel hybrids will save more than 10,000 gallons of fuel annually.

The Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec) is line to get $20 million in federal grant money, which will be used to install 2,550 charging systems for electric vehicles.


Maryland will be buying 150 hybrid vehicles with $5.9 million in federal stimulus money.  The hybrids will be used by private companies.  Aramark, Efficiency Enterprises, Nestle Waters of North America, Sysco Corp. and UPS who are all part of the Maryland Hybrid Truck Good Movement Initiative.  The new fleets will cost $14.7 million, so the companies are paying almost two-thirds of the cost.

Aramark alone is expecting to purchase 50 hybrid vehicles.

The hybrids are estimated at reducing fuel consumption by 460,000 gallons a year.

The Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition will use $12.9 million in federal stimulus funds to purchase hybrid electric school buses.  The money is coming through the Dept of Energy, which estimates the new buses will save 122,000 gallons of petroleum a year.