The Obama Administration has long advocated the use of federal
funds to promote clean energy technologies. As part of that
effort, the Administration has proposed using such funds to
support research on and development of clean-vehicle
technologies, with a focus on advanced batteries and the other
technologies needed for electric and plug-in hybrid-electric
vehicles. The Administration’s commitment to those programmes
remains strong despite pressure to reduce federal spending and
budget deficits. That commitment was clear in President Obama’s
US$3.083tn budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2013, which
begins in October. In the budget, President Obama requests a 5%
increase in federal spending on non-defence research and
development that, while relatively small, is noteworthy because
it comes at a time of intense fiscal pressures. The R&D proposal
focuses on such White House priorities as clean energy,
including advanced vehicle technologies. The Obama
Administration has long advocated the use of federal funds