Alizium Auto Blogs: Google Taking on Hybrids

Googlecar

As if the auto industry weren’t competitive enough: Google’s founders have launched a $1 billion philanthropy campaign to tackle world hunger, disease and global warming. And the web gurus are starting the healing with a hybrid car.

Google.org — that’s the group’s name and the website — wants to be profitable while it saves the planet, and its first goal is to build an electric-ethanol-gasoline hybrid vehicle that can get 100 mpg. The group is already looking into buying a small fleet of cars to put experimental powerplants into, and has consulted with engineers experienced in hybrid technology.

We’ll file this one under “We’ll believe it when we see it,” but still applaud the thought.

[Philanthropy Google’s Way: Not the Usual, New York Times]