Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced up to $68.5 million in available funding for early-stage research of advanced vehicle technologies that will enable more affordable mobility, strengthen domestic energy security, and enhance U.S. economic growth. 

“Transportation is fundamental to the American way of life,” said Secretary Perry. “Investing in early-stage research of advanced transportation technologies can give families and businesses greater choice in how they meet their mobility needs while reducing energy costs and making our transportation more efficient and reliable.”

Funded through the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, projects selected through this Vehicle Technologies Office funding opportunity will address priorities in advanced batteries and electrification, including cyber security related to electric vehicle charging; materials for both lighter weight vehicle structures and advanced powertrains; technology integration and energy-efficient mobility systems; and engines and fuels, including technologies for off-road applications as well as the co-optimization of engines and fuels. 

Topic areas for this funding opportunity include the following:

Topic 1:  Batteries and Electrification (up to $27 million)  

• Low cobalt active cathode materials for next-generation electric vehicle batteries; cobalt is a costly critical material with supply constraints. Through the Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance, the Department of the Army will provide $1.8 million to support projects in this area.

• Technologies to enable simultaneous charging of multiple plug-in electric vehicles quickly and at very high “extreme” power levels.

• Minimize or eliminate cyber security challenges at electric vehicle charging levels above 200 kW.

Topic 2:  Materials (up to $6 million)

• Predictive modeling of oxidation/corrosion in multi-material joints.

• Oxidation modeling of materials/alloys in high temperature combustion environments.

Topic 3.  Technology Integration (up to $20 million)

Technology Integration brings together key stakeholders in partnerships that can provide data, modeling, and proof-of-concept to inform early-stage research priorities and increase overall transportation system efficiency. Including:

• High performance computing for transportation system optimization.

• First/last mile solutions for people and/or goods movement.

• System-level data for more energy-efficient, affordable mobility.

• Fuel efficient platooning for improved and affordable goods movement.

• Innovative models and technologies for multi-unit dwelling electric vehicle charging.

• Open topic – innovative approaches to increase overall transportation system efficiency.

Topic 4.  Engines/Fuels: Off-road Applications (up to $3.5 million)

• Significantly improve the energy efficiency of commercial off-road vehicles for use in construction, agriculture, and mining.

Topic 5.  Co-optimization of engines and fuels (up to $12 million)

The Co-Optima initiative, a joint effort between the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) Vehicle Technologies Office and Bioenergy Technologies Office, supports research of fuel and engine innovations that work together to maximize vehicle performance and fuel efficiency. Including:

• Research multi-mode combustion regimes with co-optimized fuels.

• Research bio-based blendstock pathways for advanced medium- and heavy-duty diesel engines.

Concept papers for this funding opportunity are due May 29, 2018, and full applications will be due July 13, 2018. For more information and application requirements, please visit the EERE Exchange website or Grants.gov.