Washington (Platts)--7Feb2011/512 pm EST/2212 GMT
A bill that would give buyers of plug-in electric vehicles up to a $7,500 rebate to stimulate customer demand was introduced Monday by US Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat. In addition to the rebate, the bill would give businesses a tax credit for buying medium or heavy duty plug-in hybrid trucks. The bill also would extend an existing public-private partnership to boost US production of advanced battery technologies. The senator, who offered similar legislation in the last Congress, believes her bill would help advance President Barack Obama's goal outlined in his State of the Union to get 1 million new EVs on the road by 2015. The investor-owned utility lobby, the Edison Electric Institute, is among the dozen organizations and businesses backing Stabenow's bill. General Motors, Johnson Controls, Eaton Corp., Motor and Equipment Manufacturers and the Electric Drive Transportation Association are among the other supporters. --Cathy Cash, cathy_cash@platts.comSimilar stories appear in Inside Energy. See more information at http://bit.ly/InsideEnergy