The Secretary of Energy, acting through appropriate agencies and contractors, shall initiate and provide for the conduct of research and development in areas related to electric and hybrid vehicles, including—

((1)) energy storage technology, including batteries and their potential for convenient recharging;

((2)) vehicle control systems and overall design for energy conservation, including the use of regenerative braking;

((3)) urban design and traffic management to promote maximum transportation-related energy conservation and minimum transportation-related degradation of the environment; and

((4)) vehicle design which emphasizes durability, length of practical lifetime, ease of repair, and interchangeability and replace­ability of parts.