Report: U.S. Power Grid Can Fuel 180 Million Electric Cars

The nation's existing electric power grid could fuel as many as 180 million electric cars, a Department of Energy study estimates. The study, being released today by the department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is the federal government's first look at the grid's capacity to handle the demands of so-called plug-in hybrid. According to The Wall Street Journal, the report estimates that plug-ins, made in volume, would cost between $6,000 and $10,000 more than existing vehicles – largely due to the cost of carrying larger battery packs. The study estimates that if 84 percent of the nation's 220 million vehicles relied primarily on electricity, emissions of carbon dioxide would be cut by as much as 5 percent. :: Newswire Report