AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug.

Executives and government officials from Autodesk, Google, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, U.S.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug.

Electric vehicles are making their presence felt at amateur drag races across the country, challenging gas-powered cars and motorcycles.

By Robert Weisman, The Boston Globe Aug. 26--With rising energy prices stoking demand for new technologies, venture capital firms are showering attention, and hundreds of millions of dollars, on a field investors have long ignored: alternative energy.