As part of the Obama administration’s push for cleaner cars, the Department of Energy has recently announced more than $50 million in funding for new projects that will help advance plug-in electric vehicle technology and overall vehicle fuel economy and performance.
This is part of the department’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, which has a goal of making PEVs as affordable as gas-powered vehicles within the next 10 years. Some of the funding will go toward new research that focuses on lowering the cost and efficiency of PEVs, as well as projects that cover major research areas such as materials, battery development, heating, ventilation, fuels, lubricants, and air conditioning systems.
The DoE will also be accepting applications from universities and laboratories looking to address these challenges in hopes of contributing to a more innovative, cost-effective vehicle design. The U.S. Army will even be co-funding a few areas in a collaboration with the DoE, called the Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance.
The more support the auto industry has in making electric vehicles more efficient and more cost effective, the sooner we will start seeing more of them on the road and be able to cut down on our dependence on gasoline. It’s especially encouraging to see the government backing this research, and will be interesting to see where it leads over the next decade. Do you think EVs will become as affordable as gas-powered vehicles in the next 10 years, or is that too unrealistic of a goal?
Image CC licensed by Michael Gil: Chevy Volt