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Electric Vehicles: Efforts to Complete Advanced Battery Development Will Require More Time and Funding

RCED-95-234 Published: Aug 17, 1995. Publicly Released: Sep 18, 1995.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the development of advanced batteries for electric vehicles, focusing on the: (1) progress that the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has made in reaching its long-term and mid-term research goals; (2) funding that has been spent as of fiscal year 1995 and the additional amounts, if any, that will be needed; and (3) Department of Energy's (DOE) role in managing the consortium.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should give more careful consideration to the document entitled Lessons Learned Under the United States Advanced Battery Consortium to determine whether any of its recommendations should be implemented and develop any action plan for implementing those that are warranted.
Closed – Implemented
DOE has undertaken a detailed review of the various issues raised in the lessons learned document and on May 17, 1996 issued an evaluation report that describes the actions taken to implement several recommendations included in the lessons learned report. According to the evaluation report, the action taken includes revising intellectual property agreements to make them significantly easier to implement, improving the negotiation process, and streamlining the Cooperative Research and Development Act review and approval process.

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Topics

Alternative energy sourcesAutomobile industryCost analysisElectric energyEnergy conservationMotor vehicle pollution controlMotor vehiclesResearch and development costsTechnology transferTransportation researchElectric vehicles