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Department of Energy Awards More Than $175 Million for Advanced Vehicle Research and Development

On August 10, DOE issued the following press release announcing awards for more than $175 million for advanced vehicle research and development. 

Department of Energy Awards More Than $175 Million for Advanced Vehicle Research and Development

August 10, 2011

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced more than $175 million over the next three to five years to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies. The funding will support 40 projects across 15 states and will help improve the fuel efficiency of next generation vehicles. The projects will target new innovations throughout the vehicle, including better fuels and lubricants, lighter weight materials, longer-lasting and cheaper electric vehicle batteries and components, more efficient engine technologies, and more. This comprehensive approach to vehicle efficiency research and development will help ensure the technologies are available to help automakers achieve recently announced fuel efficiency standards.

Last month, the President announced historic fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks which will bring fuel efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon by Model Year 2025 and which, combined with steps already taken by this administration, will save American families $1.7 trillion at the pump and reduce oil consumption by 12 billion barrels by 2025. Yesterday, the Administration announced of first-of-their-kind fuel-efficiency standards for work trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles, which will save American businesses who operate and own these commercial vehicles approximately $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the program.

"The Department of Energy is investing in new advanced technologies that will significantly improve vehicle fuel economy, save consumers money, and create skilled jobs for Americans," said Secretary Chu. "Investments in the next generation of autos will strengthen our economy and lead to a more fuel-efficient, clean energy future."

The funds will leverage additional investments by the grantees to support projects totaling more than $300 million. The selections announced today focus on eight approaches to improving vehicle efficiency:

• Advanced fuels and lubricants: Eight projects awarded to improve fuels and lubricants that will enable optimal performance of advanced combustion engines.
• Light-weighting materials: Five projects awarded to accelerate commercial availability of lighter weight vehicles using advanced materials that dramatically reduce vehicle weight while maintaining the highest safety standards.
• Light weight multi-material prototype: Two projects awarded to design, build, and test a light-weight vehicle that is 50% lighter than a baseline light-duty vehicle. These projects are being undertaken as part of the Clean Energy Dialogue with Canada.
• Advanced cells and design technology for electric drive batteries: Twelve projects awarded to develop high energy or high power batteries for electric vehicles that should significantly exceed existing state-of-the-art technologies in terms of performance and/or cost.
• Advanced power electronics and electric motor technology: Four projects awarded to develop the next generation of power inverters and electric motors to meet demanding performance targets while achieving significant cost reductions.
• Thermoelectric and enabling engine technology: Three projects awarded to improve the efficiency of thermoelectric devices to convert engine waste heat to electricity. Selections of projects to develop early-stage enabling engine technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions are expected in September.
• Fleet efficiency: Five projects awarded to develop and demonstrate fuel efficient tire and driver feedback technologies that will improve efficiency of the passenger car and commercial fleet.
• Advanced vehicle testing and evaluation: One project awarded to conduct laboratory and field evaluations of advanced technology vehicles and related infrastructure, while developing new or modified test procedures.

Read the full list of award winners.

 

New $184 Million DOE Funding Opportunity Announced

DOE announced today that it is accepting applications for up to $184 million over three to five years to accelerate the development and deployment of new efficient vehicle technologies that will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, save drivers money, and limit carbon pollution. Projects will span the broad spectrum of technology approaches, including advanced materials, combustion research, hybrid electric systems, fleet efficiency, and fuels technology.

The Funding Opportunity Announcement addresses the development of key technologies required to achieve large scale adoption of advanced vehicles such as plug-in electric hybrids (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). The Department is seeking applications from industry, laboratory, and university teams to address its challenges. The solicitation seeks to fill gaps in the existing program through the development of enabling technologies that will remove barriers and create new paradigms in vehicle design.

The Funding Opportunity Announcement focuses on eight approaches to improving vehicle efficiency:

• Advanced fuels and lubricants: Improve today's vehicle fuels and lubricants to enable optimal performance of advanced combustion engines.
• Light weighting materials: Accelerate commercial availability of lighter weight vehicles using advanced materials like magnesium and carbon fiber to dramatically reduce vehicle weight.
• Multi-material light weight material prototype: Design, build, and test a light-weight vehicle that is 50% lighter than a baseline light-duty vehicle.
• Advanced cells and design technology for electric drive batteries: Develop high energy or high power electric vehicles that significantly exceed existing state-of-the-art technologies in terms of performance and/or cost.
• Advanced power electronics and electric motor technology: Develop the next generation of power inverters and electric motors to meet demanding performance targets while achieving significant reductions in cost.
• Thermoelectric and enabling engine technology: Improve the efficiency of thermoelectric devices to convert engine waste heat to electricity. Develop early-stage enabling engine technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
• Fleet efficiency: Develop and demonstrate fuel efficient tire and driver feedback technologies that will positively affect efficiency of the fleet of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
• Advanced vehicle testing and evaluation: Conduct laboratory and field evaluations of advanced technology vehicles and related infrastructure, while developing new or modified test procedures.

Applications for the solicitation are due February 28, 2011.  A Letter of Intent due date is Jan. 18, 2011. DOE expects to announce the selections by summer 2011.  To read the solicitation, click here.  

 

Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act

On May 27, 2010, new EV legislation was introduced in both the House and Senate.  The House and Senate bills are sponsored by Representatives Markey, Biggert, McNerney and Eshoo and Senators Dorgan, Alexander and Merkley, respectively .   Key components of the legislation include the following:

• The Secretary of Energy will competitively award $800 million to 5 different deployment communities around the country, with the objective of deploying 700,000 electric vehicles in those communities within six years. 
• At least $2,000 in additional consumer incentives for the first 100,000 consumers purchasing electric vehicles in these communities would be provided. 
• All Americans would continue to be eligible for the electric vehicle tax credit, which reduces the prices of an electric vehicle by up to $7500, and additionally, tax credits of the costs of purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging equipment for individuals (up to $2000) or businesses (up to $50,000 for multiple equipment purchases) would be extended. 
• Additional research, development, deployment and manufacturing incentives are provided for technologies that enable the widespread deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. 

American Power Act Proposes Massive New Focus on Natural Gas Vehicles

The American Power Act, to be released this week, would be a major boon for the natural gas vehicle market.  More specifically, the Act would:

• extend and double for 10 years the alternative fuel credits for purchasing natural gas vehicles that have a weight greater than 8,500 pounds;
• extend and double the credit for vehicles weighing less than 8,500 lbs for commercial fleet vehicles of at least ten cars and purchases of at least three natural gas vehicles;
• make it easier for hybrid natural gas/conventionally-fueled vehicles to qualify for credits;
• assist states and local governments issue tax credit bonds to finance natural gas vehicle projects (up to $3 billion in federal assistance);
• allow 100% of the cost of a natural gas vehicle manufacturing facility placed in service before Jan. 1, 2015 to be expensed and to be treated as a deduction in the taxable year in which the facility was placed in service;
• direct the Government Services Administration to study how the Federal fleet could increase the number of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas vehicles in the fleet. 

Companies that stand to benefit greatly include natural gas vehicle and component suppliers such as Cummins, Westport Innovations, Clean Energy Fuels, Honda and others.

Cash for Clunkers

NHTSA’s CARS program website now includes a link to the December 2009 report to Congress on the CARS program.  The reports covers:

1.         Establishment and Operation of the CARS Program
2.         Summary of CARS Transactions
3.         CARS Consumer Survey Data
4.         Economic Benefits
5.         Non-Market Effects
6.         Administrative Costs
7.         Conclusions
 
For a copy of the report, click here.

DOE to Provide $187 Million to Improve Vehicle Efficiency for Heavy-Duty Trucks and Passenger Vehicles

On Jan. 11, 2010, at an event in Columbus, Indiana, DOE Secretary Chu announced the selection of nine projects totaling more than $187 million to improve fuel efficiency for heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles. The funding includes more than $100 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and with a private cost share of 50%, will support nearly $375 million in total research, development, and demonstration projects across the country. The nine winners have stated their projects will create over 500 jobs, primarily researchers, engineers, and managers who will develop these new technologies. By 2015, the projects expect to create over 6,000 jobs—many in manufacturing and assembly. 

Three projects will focus on cost-effective measures to improve the efficiency of Class 8 long-haul freight trucks by 50%. These projects will receive more than $115 million in funding to develop and demonstrate systems-level fuel efficiency technologies by 2015, including improved aerodynamics, reducing engine idling technologies, waste heat recovery to increase engine efficiency, advanced combustion techniques, and powertrain hybridization.  The remaining six projects totaling more than $71 million will support efforts to increase the fuel economy for passenger vehicle engines and powertrain systems. The goal is to develop engine technologies that will improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles by 25-40% by 2015 using an engine-only approach.

 The following projects have been selected for awards under two topic areas:

Systems Level Technology Development, Integration, and Demonstration for Efficient Class 8 Trucks (SuperTrucks)

• Cummins Inc. - $38,831,115 - Columbus, Indiana: Develop and demonstrate a highly efficient and clean diesel engine, an advanced waste heat recovery system, an aerodynamic Peterbilt tractor and trailer combination, and a fuel cell auxiliary power unit to reduce engine idling.
• Daimler Trucks North America, LLC - $39,559,868 - Portland, Oregon: Develop and demonstrate technologies including engine downsizing, electrification of auxiliary systems such as oil and water pumps, waste heat recovery, improved aerodynamics and hybridization.
• Navistar, Inc. - $37,328,933 - Fort Wayne, Indiana: Develop and demonstrate technologies to improve truck and trailer aerodynamics, combustion efficiency, waste heat recovery, hybridization, idle reduction, and reduced rolling resistance tires.

 Advanced Technology Powertrains for Light-Duty Vehicles (ATP-LD)

• Chrysler Group LLC - $14,458,572 - Auburn Hills, Michigan: Develop a flexible combustion system for their minivan platform based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases, and flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.
• Cummins Inc. - $15,000,000 - Columbus, Indiana: Develop a fuel-efficient, low emissions diesel engine that achieves a 40% fuel economy improvement over conventional gasoline technology and significantly exceeds 2010 EPA emissions requirements.
• Delphi Automotive Systems LLC - $7,480,572 - Troy, Michigan: Develop a novel low-temperature combustion system, coupled with technologies such as continuously variable valve control and engine downspeeding, to improve fuel economy by at least 25%.
• Ford Motor Company - $15,000,000 - Dearborn, Michigan: Achieve a 25% fuel economy improvement with a gasoline engine in a 2010 mid- to large-size sedan using technologies including engine downsizing, turbo-charging, direct injection, and a novel exhaust aftertreatment system.
• General Motors Co. - $7,705,862 - Pontiac, Michigan: Develop an engine that uses lean combustion and active heat management, as well as a novel emissions control system, to improve the fuel economy of a 2010 Malibu demonstration vehicle by 25%.
• Robert Bosch - $11,953,786 - Farmington Hills, Michigan: Demonstrate a high compression, turbo-charged engine based on homogenous charge compression ignition technology (a combustion technology that allows for lower emissions and higher efficiency) to achieve up to 30% fuel economy improvement in a gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicle.

 

New DOE Funding Opportunity Announced

Today, DOE issued the attached Notice of Intent to Issue FOA No. DE-FOA-0000239 entitled, “FY2010 Vehicle Technologies Program Wide Broad Agency Announcement.” 

DOE expects to issue the FOA in or around the February 2010 timeframe.  The Department envisions awarding multiple financial assistance awards in the form of cost-shared grants/cooperative agreements.  The estimated period of performance for each award will be approximately 2-3 years. 
 
The following areas are expected to be covered by the FOA:

Area of Interest 1: Advanced Fuels and Lubricants Technologies

Subtopic 1(a): Fuels and Lubricants for Advanced Combustion Regimes

Subtopic 1(b): Direct Petroleum Displacement by Liquid Alternative Fuels for CI Engines in Transportation

Subtopic 1(c): Higher efficiency natural gas (CNG, LNG) engines and vehicle platforms for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses.

Area of Interest 2: Lightweighting Materials

Subtopic 2(a): Low Cost Development of Magnesium from a Domestic Source
 
Subtopic 2(b): Demonstration Project for a Multi-material Light Weight Vehicle as part of the Clean Energy Dialogue with Canada

Subtopic 2(c): Development of Low Cost Carbon Fiber

Area of Interest 3: Hybrid and Electric Systems R&D for Advanced Energy Storage and Electric Drive Technologies

Subtopic 3(a): Develop Advanced Cells for Electric Drive Vehicle Batteries

Subtopic 3(b): Improve Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Design

Subtopic 3(c):Modular, Scalable Inverter for Advanced Electric Drive Vehicle Electric Traction Drives

Subtopic 3(d): Motors Using No Rare Earth Permanent Magnets for Advanced EDV Electric Traction Drives

Area of Interest 4: Advanced Thermoelectric and Enabling Technologies for Energy Efficient Powertrains

Subtopic 4(a): Solid State Thermoelectric Energy Conversion Devices

Subtopic 4(b):Enabling Technologies for Engine and Powertrain Systems

New DOE Funding for EV Batteries, Biofuels and Carbon Capture

On December 7th, DOE Secretary Chu announced a second round of funding opportunities for transformational energy research projects that will be made available through the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).  This round of funding focuses specifically on three areas of technology representing new approaches for biofuels, carbon capture, and batteries for electric vehicles:

Areas of focus included under today’s funding opportunity include:

Electrofuels. ARPA-E is seeking new ways to make liquid transportation fuels - without using petroleum or biomass - by using microorganisms to harness chemical or electrical energy to convert carbon dioxide into liquid fuels. Many methods of producing advanced and cellulosic biofuels are under development to lessen our dependence on petroleum and lower carbon emissions. Most of the methods currently under development involve converting biomass or waste, while there are also approaches to directly produce liquid transportation fuels from sunlight and carbon dioxide, typically using photosynthesis. The objective of this topic is to develop an entirely new paradigm for the production of liquid fuels that could overcome the challenges associated with current technologies. Although photosynthetic routes show promise, overall efficiencies remain low. ARPA-E requests innovative proposals which can overcome these challenges through the utilization of metabolic engineering and synthetic biological approaches for the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide to liquid transportation fuels. ARPA-E specifically seeks the development of organisms capable of extracting energy from hydrogen, from reduced earth-abundant metal ions, from robust, inexpensive, readily available organic redox active species, or directly from electric current. Theoretically such an approach could be 10 times more efficient than current photosynthetic-biomass approaches to liquid fuel production.

 Innovative Materials & Processes for Advanced Carbon Capture Technologies (IMPACCT). Coal-fired power plants currently generate approximately 50% of the electricity in the United States. While coal is a cheap and abundant resource, the continued reliance upon coal as an energy source could potentially have serious consequences in terms of global warming. The objective of this topic is to fund high risk, high reward research efforts that will revolutionize technologies that capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants, thereby preventing release into the atmosphere. ARPA-E seeks to complement existing DOE efforts in the field of carbon capture, led by the Office of Fossil Energy and National Energy Technology Laboratory, by accelerating promising ideas from the basic research stage towards large-scale demonstrations and ultimately, commercialization. Areas of interest include: low-cost catalysts to enable systems with superior thermodynamics that are not currently practical due to slow kinetics; robust materials that resist degradation from caustic contaminants in flue gas; and advanced capture processes that dramatically reduce the parasitic energy penalties and corresponding increase in the cost of electricity required for carbon capture.

Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation (BEEST). In this topic, ARPA-E seeks to develop a new generation of ultra-high energy density, low-cost battery technologies for long electric range plug in hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs). The development of high energy, low cost batteries represents the critical barrier to wide-spread deployment of EVs, which if achieved would have a profound impact on U.S. oil security, greenhouse gas emissions, and economic growth. The ambitious goals for this program are largely based upon the aggressive long term EV battery goals set forth by the United States Automotive Battery Consortium, a public-private collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy and leading U.S. automotive companies. If successful, new battery technologies developed under this program will give electrified light-duty vehicles range, performance, lifetime, and cost required to shift transportation energy from oil to the domestically powered U.S. electric grid. ARPA-E's objective is to fund high-risk, high reward research efforts that will promote leadership in this emerging EV battery market.

To submit a concept paper, please visit: https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov. For more information about ARPA-E and previously announced awards please visit: http://arpa-e.energy.gov/.

More DOE Vehicle-Related Technology Awards Announced

On November 18^th, DOE announced $104.7 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for eight new projects to establish research and testing facilities at seven DOE National Laboratories.  The projects are in the areas of carbon fiber manufacturing and processing technologies, advanced battery prototype fabrication and testing facilities, and integrated building systems development.  With regard specifically to the carbon fiber and battery projects, the awards are as follows:

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN) will receive $34.7 million for carbon fiber manufacturing and processing to construct the Carbon Fiber Technology Center.  The Center will investigate novel manufacturing processes and alternative feedstocks in order to lower the cost of carbon fiber from the current $10-$20 per pound to under $5 per pound.
• Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne, IL) will receive $8.8 million to construct three battery research and development facilities:  a Battery Prototype Cell Fabrication Facility, a Materials Production Scale-Up Facility, and a Post-Test Analysis Facility.
• Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho Falls, ID) will receive $5 million to establish a High Energy Battery Test Facility.  The High Energy Battery Test Facility will possess capabilities that will enable development of low cost batteries that meet real world performance requirements. 
• Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM) will receive $4.2 million to modify and enhance its Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory. Abusive testing includes such conditions as over charging, over discharge, short circuits, fire and external heat exposure. The improved battery abuse testing facilities will possess capabilities critical for developing low cost batteries that meet real world performance requirements.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, CO) will receive $2 million to establish a Battery Thermal and Life Test Facility. The Battery Thermal and Life Test Facility will enable researchers to develop lower cost, more robust battery thermal management systems and battery designs.

Tesla Won't Have To Pay Sales Tax On Equipment

Tesla Motors won't have to pay sales tax on $320 million worth of manufacturing equipment for building its electric cars, under an agreement California Treasurer Bill Lockyer announced Wednesday.  Tesla will purchase the machinery, but title to the equipment initially will be held by the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, which doesn't have to pay sales tax on equipment used to make advanced vehicles.