The Energy Department announced today $10 million for eight incubator projects to develop innovative solutions for efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicle technologies that will help reduce petroleum use in the United States. The funding will go toward projects that pursue breakthrough approaches to providing Americans with greater freedom of mobility and energy security, while lowering costs and reducing environmental impacts.
Through the incubator activity, the Energy Department supports innovative technologies and solutions that have the potential to help meet program goals but are not substantially represented in the current research portfolio. These projects bring a more diverse group of stakeholders and participants to address technical challenges in the vehicle research priorities. Eventually, successfully demonstrated technologies or approaches from the incubator activity may impact existing long-term technology plans and roadmaps.
Some awardees include:
- Silatronix of Madison, Wisconsin will receive $1.3 million to develop advanced stable electrolytes for current and future high voltage (>5V) battery systems for automotive applications.
- Polymer Plus of Valley View, Ohio will receive $1.4 million to develop multilayered film capacitors for advanced power electronics and electric motors for electric traction drives.
- Intermolecular Inc., of San Jose, California will receive $2.5 million to develop a new family of lightweight high strength alloys for vehicle applications.
- State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook University of Stony Brook, New York will receive $1.0 million to eliminate the need for two fuels to achieve the efficiency and emissions improvements of the reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) advanced combustion by using a single fuel with onboard fuel reformation.
Read the full list of awardees.
The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. The Vehicle Technologies Office funds research and development for energy efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicle technologies. To learn more about the office, please visit the Vehicle Technologies Office website.