Three-Wheelers Will be Eligible for DOE Funds

18 October, 2009 10:25:00

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Congress has approved a bill that will make fuel-efficient three-wheeled vehicles eligible for federal funding.

After getting approval from Congress, the bill is headed to the White House for Obama's signature, who will most likely endorse this too.

After Obama signs the legislation, any manufacturer of enclosed three-wheeled cars that can average at least 75 mpg (or equivalent, for plug-in models) and are designed to carry at least two adults will be eligible for DOE funding.

Companies that are looking to manufacture three-wheelers such as Aptera and Elio Motors have been fighting for this rule change in order to access funding.

Aptera has requested $75 million to help accelerate its expansion. The company Aptera plans to begin mass production of its ‘2e’ plug-in electric vehicle. Aptera says its electric vehicle will be able to go at least 100 miles on an electric charge. The electric car startup, backed by Google and Idealab, had aimed to start delivering its all electric Aptera 2e (previously called Typ-1) by the end of 2008, but had to delay.

Elio Motors plans to start marketing a narrow, gasoline-powered three-wheeler by the spring of 2011. The company expects to start marketing an 83-mpg vehicle for under $7,500 by the spring of 2011.

Created in 2007 and appropriated in September 2008, the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program aims to reduce America’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil and create “green collar” jobs.

Earlier this year, the DOE gave conditional loan commitments to Ford ($5.9 billion), Nissan ($1.6 billion), Tesla Motors ($465 million) and Fisker Automotive ($528.7 million) as part of the DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. General Motors and Chrysler had to re-apply following their bankruptcies.

The rules for the program can be found here.

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