Back in the early nineties when Bill Gates and co were making their billions the notion of the behemoth corporation diversifying into other areas seemed almost ludicrous. Why, after all, would a company founded on computer software and making a killing developing computer software, move into other areas of business? But a decade down the line we have a new superpower in the field of technology and yet hearing that Google is investing into electric cars seems almost predictable.
One can’t help but compare the two corporations as critics often liken Google to a young Microsoft but in terms of the later, expenditures outside the mainstream didn’t start until Bill met Melinda. Google, however, has spent nearly its entire existence diversifying into distinct areas; after all, one can only do so much with a search engine. So while one company irons out bugs in their operating system, the other dedicatedly expands; maps (both road, world, and most recently, celestial), cell phones, 411-services, etc. Each step Google has taken has been a logical, progressive one. And now word comes that the corporation built upon search algorithms has named its first recipient for the Google.org RechareIT funding. For some time now they’ve exalted renewable resources and backed electric cars, but now they’ve shifted policy by adding finances to words and investing in ActaCell and Aptera Motors, a lithium-ion battery maker and electric car manufacturer, respectively. As Katie Fehrenbacher over at gigaom.com notes, this shift marks the transition from mere advocate to financial backer, accomplished in “much the way a venture capitalist would.”
Google.org’s RechargeIT initiative pledged $10 million to back plug-in vehicles and that initial vote-of-confidence in the hybrid market was a step in the right direction, but now that Google has followed through on that pledge, it seems more and more likely that the company truly wants to be a factor in the shaping of future. This investment isn’t simply a matter of dollars and cents, as Microsoft’s acquisition of Yahoo would be, Google seems almost disinterested in markets that they would have to combat others for supremacy. Instead, they carve out little niches, creating demand where none existed before. And if by investing in hybrid vehicles (a move even governments seems tentative to do) Google manages to bring about an appealing, practical alternative, then they will have done just that; created demand where little to none existed beforehand. And that’s what they do best.
For more info on RechargeIt check out its official website
I think it’s great that there’s money being put into this!
I think that it is great that a company as big as Google and has so many resources is also putting them into good things to help the environment.
It is an interesting concept and they must think they can make it work. It’s great that they are willing to invest in something that could help the environment.