The US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide US$59m (£48m) to 43 projects for advanced vehicle technologies research.
Funded through the US government’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, these projects will explore advanced batteries and electric drive systems, co-optimised engine and fuel technologies, materials for more efficient powertrains, and alternative fuels and new energy efficient mobility systems.
“Vehicles drive our national economy,” said Mark Menezes, under secretary of energy. “At [the] DOE, we support a broad portfolio of technologies, generating the knowledge needed for industry to further develop and commercialise affordable, secure, and reliable transportation systems.”
According to the US DOE, annually, vehicles transport 11 billion tons of freight – more than US$35bn (£28bn) of goods each day – and move people more than 3 trillion vehicle-miles. The average US household reportedly spends nearly one-fifth of its total family expenditures on transportation, making it the most expensive spending category after housing.
Thus, the projects selected will accelerate the development of lithium-metal solid state batteries, novel materials and designs for advanced electric motors, and combine new powertrain materials with new combustion regimes to significantly improve fuel economy.
