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Midwestern utility Xcel Energy will be one of the first companies to receive battery-electric versions of Ford Motor Co.'s Transit Connect utility vans later this year.


Ford and powertrain-maker Azure Dynamics Corp. will deliver one pre-production Transit Connect EV to Xcel's operations in St. Paul, Minn., later this year and will deliver another dozen to Xcel next year, the companies said in a statement today.


The vans use an advanced lithium-ion battery from Johnson Controls-Saft to achieve a range of up to 80 miles on a single charge and are rechargeable using either a 240-volt or a standard 120-volt outlet.


Commercial vans generally return to a central location at the end of each driving cycle, making for easy overnight recharging. Use of the vehicles will reduce tailpipe emissions and fuel and maintenance costs.


The U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture will award $8.9 million worth of grants to support a genetic breeding program that will help make plants best suited for bioenergy production.


The DOE will fund $6.9 million while the Agriculture Department will provide $2 million towards nine combined projects, the DOE said in a statement today.
 
Scientists at eight institutions will research how lignocellulosic materials, or nonfood plant fiber, can best be used for biofuels production.
 
Texas A& M University and the University of Illinois are among institutions that will be funded for the projects, which will run for as long as three years.

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Tags: Alternative Fuels, Audi, BMW, Batteries, Biofuels, Car Charging, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Economy, Plug-ins and Electric, Audi, Azure Dynamics, BEV, Bioenergy, Biofuels, BMW, Coulomb Technology, Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Energy, DOE, ECOtality, EV, Ford Tran

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GreenBriefs: Xcel Energy Among First to Get Ford Transit Connect EVs; DOE, Ag Dept. Announce Best-Pl was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.