The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, in a show of bi-partisan support, approved this morning a bill to put 400,000 electric vehicles on the road in three years. The Promoting Electric Vehicles Act of 2010 passed the committee on a 19 to 4 vote. Senator Murkowski (R-Alaska) said after the vote, "I am willing to take the risk where we're putting our money on the electrification of vehicles."

The $3.6 billion bill, authored by Senator Dorgan (D-North Dakota) spends $1.5 billion on research, including a $10 million prize for the development of a vehicle battery with a 500 mile range, and up to $250 million for deployment communities that would serve as large-scale pilot programs for the rest of the nation. The deployment communities will receive targeted incentives to promote the purchase of electric vehicles and the construction of charging stations to learn best practices for the rapid deployment of electric vehicles.

Dorgan said, "Passing this legislation will strengthen our national security and improve the air we breathe, while relying on our abundant and diverse electricity supply to fuel our cars. We are now one step closer to dramatically reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil that hurts our economy, helps our enemies and puts our security at risk. Domestic petroleum will always be an important part of our country's energy strategy, but we also must invest in alternative energy approaches including electric cars."

Robbie Diamond, president of the Electrification Coalition, praised the vote, saying, "Republicans and Democrats have taken another critical step toward finally ending our nation's dangerous dependence on oil."

Call your senators to express your support for the bipartisan Promoting Electric Vehicles Act and be sure they encourage Senator Reid to move this bill to the Senate floor.