Ohio State University plans to use a $26.5 million Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration grant to establish and operate a new testing center that supports the deployment of zero-emission and low-emission public transportation buses.
The university will use the funding for a research, development, and testing laboratory at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) on the university’s west campus.
The research will help the transit industry develop and deploy the cleanest and most energy-efficient buses and transit vehicles and will help transit agencies select the best vehicles and technologies.
The new lab will focus on batteries and energy storage, hydrogen fuel cells, electric motors, and power electronics. It will feature component and vehicle-level testing and validation equipment.
The university-affiliated Transportation Research Center, North America’s most advanced vehicle proving ground, and SMARTCenter, a test track for vehicle automation testing and development, will provide the testing center with access to their facilities.
Engineering staff, senior research staff, research faculty, and laboratory and testing technicians will conduct research and testing at the center.
In addition, the facility supports undergraduate and graduate level studies as well as CAR’s STEM education and K-12 engagement initiatives.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided the funding for the project through fiscal year 2026.