Group Wants Government to Jump-Start the E.V. Revolution

Calling for what amounts to a Marshall Plan to start manufacturing plug-in hybrids and battery-electric cars, a group of executives from the auto and utility industries, and prospective plug-in fleet buyers laid out a strategy on Monday at a roundtable in Washington.

The new group, called the Electrification Coalition, envisions significant federal assistance in jump-starting what it calls

Robbie Diamond, president and chief executive of the Electrification Coalition, refers to the slow proliferation of hybrid cars when discussing the need for government contribution in ramping up the acceptance and use of these vehicles. Even now, after years on the market, there are only 1.3 million hybrid cars on American roads.