Google has announced the launch of the RechargeIT initiative, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions and oil dependence by backing the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles.The search engine giant's philanthropic arm, Google.org, is set to fund $10 million (five million pounds) to accelerate the development of the technology for the green hybrid "plug-ins".
Google also revealed that it has switched on the solar panel at its Mountain View headquarters, to help power its plug-ins with solar energy and reduce its overall environmental footprint
Dr. Larry Brilliant, executive director of Google.org, said that clean energy can "dramatically shift" how energy is made and used in powering cars and homes.
He also suggested the method of selling power back to the electric grid and using renewable energy sources can quadruple the fuel efficiency of cars and improve grid stability.
"Google is committed to using its resources to help solve the global climate challenge," he explained. "RechargeIT brings together all of these elements to help accelerate progress on plug-ins.
"By demonstrating new clean energy technologies and how they can be connected to the grid, we hope to spur demand and encourage car manufacturers to make these vehicles commercially available on a large scale on an urgent basis."
Google has been throwing its weight behind a series of pro-environment projects recently, including the Climate Savers Computing Initiative.
The search group announced it has joined forces with a host of IT industry leaders, such as Intel and Microsoft, to drive energy-efficient computing and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
