The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy intends to grant $59 million to 43 separate projects, all advancing vehicle technology research in some way.
“Vehicles drive our national economy,” Under Secretary of Energy Menezes, who announced the funds last week, said. “At DOE, we support a broad portfolio of technologies, generating the knowledge needed for industry to further develop and commercialize affordable, secure, and reliable transportation systems.”
The DOE currently estimates that vehicles are responsible for 11 billion tons of freight transported each year, a significant factor in the economy. They also make up a major part of citizens’ budgets, with an estimated one-fifth of household expenditures spent on transportation in the United States on average. As such, the DOE wants to support initiatives that could make vehicles more efficient or open up more options on the road.
The selected projects for funding include efforts to improve powertrain efficiency, the advancement of battery and electric drive system technology, investigations of alternative fuels, and tap into co-optimized engine and fuel technologies. The funds will also help projects accelerate the development of lithium-metal, solid-state batteries, design advanced electric motors, and merge powertrain materials with new combustion efforts to tinker with fuel economy. In all cases, the DOE said the projects target affordability, economic growth, national security, and U.S. dominance of the energy market.