The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $59 million to 43 projects for new and innovative advanced vehicle technologies research. Funded through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, these projects include solid-state batteries (15 projects) and power-dense electric motors (5 projects); co-optimized engine and fuel technologies (3 projects); materials for more efficient powertrains (2 projects); and alternative fuels and new energy efficient mobility systems (11 projects).

Annually, vehicles transport 11 billion tons of freight—more than $35 billion worth of goods each day—and move people more than 3 trillion vehicle-miles. The average US household spends nearly one-fifth of its total family expenditures on transportation, making it the most expensive spending category after housing.

Projects selected will accelerate the development of lithium-metal solid state batteries (materials, tools, and modeling); novel materials and designs for advanced electric motors; and combine new powertrain materials with new combustion regimes to improve fuel economy significantly.

The projects are: