GOTLAND, SWEDEN – U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander Karsner and Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency, Tomas Kåberger today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaboratively work on accelerating consumer acceptance and commercialization of plug-in hybrid vehicles. The MOU outlines a one year, $1 million cost-sharing arrangement that will be equally funded by DOE and the Swedish Energy Agency.

“Today’s announcement furthers the historic energy cooperation commitment between the United States and Sweden as we work together to advance the research, development and deployment of plug-in hybrid vehicles from the lab to the marketplace,” DOE Assistant Secretary Alexander Karsner said. “The advancement of clean energy technologies, such as plug-in hybrid vehicles, will help address the serious challenge of global climate change while enhancing our countries economic growth and increased energy security.”

DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory will work with Test Site Sweden to demonstrate plug-in technologies, support research and development (R&D), as well as share operational and consumer data and solutions to potential vehicle-to-grid. Over the next year, the following activities will take place under the MOU:

• Proof of concepts to support PHEV development and introduction, e.g., vehicle instrumentation, vehicle-to-grid/home hardware and smart charging systems;
• Tracking and evaluating customer behavior in field operational testing;
• Quantification of national, utility, and customer benefits; and,
• Planning and deployment of convenient public charging stations.

Today’s MOU builds on an agreement signed by Assistant Secretary Karsner and Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson in June 2007 that further expands cooperation on renewable energy and vehicle technologies. The 2007 agreement focuses cooperation on biomass production, transportation and automotive research, reducing the cost of renewable energy, and improving energy efficiency. It also established a bilateral working group to explore prospective projects.

Learn more information on DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website.

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Jennifer Scoggins, (202) 586-4940