The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced more than $55 million in funding to develop and deploy cutting edge vehicle technologies that strengthen the clean energy economy. This comes just days after President Obama’s State of the Union Address in which he highlighted the surge in U.S. manufacturing and strong growth in the auto industry.
These technologies will play a key role in increasing fuel efficiency and reducing petroleum consumption, as well as support the DOE’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, which aims to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable to own and operate as gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022.
“Energy Department investments in advanced vehicle technologies have had a major impact on the industry, driving down costs for consumers and reducing carbon emissions,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “These projects will continue America’s leadership in building safe, reliable, and efficient vehicles to support a strong, 21st century transportation system.”
The funding will go toward a range of research, development, and demonstration projects with the goal of reducing the price and improving the efficiency of plug-in electric, alternative fuel, and conventional vehicles, including advanced batteries and electric drives; lightweight materials; advanced combustion engine and enabling technologies; and fuel technologies such as dedicated or dual fuel natural gas engine technologies.
In addition, $35 million in funding is being made available in early February to advance fuel cell and hydrogen technologies, including enabling the early adoption of fuel cell applications, such as light duty fuel cell electric vehicles.
Source: Fierceenergy.com