The Seattle Department of Transportation received federal help in efforts to expand electric vehicle growth in the city last week, via a $1.9 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE).
The award came as part of a total $13.4 million supporting grant from the DOE which has been dispatched to aid five new cost-share, community-based transportation projects. All reflect efforts to bring energy efficiency to mobility systems, be they autonomous vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles or through the infrastructure that supports them.
“Getting more electric vehicles on the road is one of the biggest steps we can take to help reduce emissions and save families money on fuel costs,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said of the announcement. “It is imperative we continue to allow innovation on electric vehicle technology and infrastructure to help us move towards a clean energy economy.”
For Seattle, the grant will help increase the supply of fast charging stations and use of ride sharing services. It will support a partnership between the city and electric vehicle infrastructure company Eluminocity. Present predictions hold that through the extra funds, the program could save as much as 15,000 metric tons of carbon emissions from being dispersed.