Officials from the United States and the European Union outlined November 29 at the conclusion of the annual Transatlantic Economic Council their efforts to advance cooperation on electric vehicles. The objective of the plan is to develop coherent and compatible standards for electric vehicles and smart grids that can be adopted in relevant international forums, including two electric vehicle and smart grid interoperability centers, and the European Commission’s Joint Research Center and the Department of Energy initiated an agreement to develop common energy efficiency specifications for office equipment based on the U.S. Energy Star program.