Google enhanced its ‘green’ reputation by adding more than 30 electric vehicles to Gfleet, its employee car-sharing program. Free charging is also available for Googlers with electric cars.

Photo: Kimberly White/Reuters

For running errands and other activities the Google employees now use more electronically equipped cars as Nissan Leafs and Chevy Volts are added to the existing fleet. The cars from other manufacturers will also replenish the fleet as soon as they become available.

According to the company’s Official Blog, there were no electric vehicles on the market when Google launched its RechargeIt sustainability initiative in 2007. Google purchased Toyota Priuses and Ford Escapes and had them re-equipped with A123 Hymotion batteries. So, the Gfleet was born.

Gfleet and Google’s biodiesel shuttle system result in net annual savings of more than 5,400 tonnes of CO2, which is like taking over 2,000 cars off the road, or avoiding 14 million vehicle miles every year.

Now more than 200 chargers for electric vehicles at its Mountain View, California, Googleplex campus are available and the company plans to add 250 more soon. Google’s goal is to electrify at least 5% of its parking spaces. With 23,000 employees it will be quite a good result as most of them are stationed at the Googleplex.

In October 2010 Google tested a self-driven car, developed and outfitted by the company. It’s a car that steer, stop and start without human driver. The innovation is to reduce carbon emissions and help prevent car accidents.