The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced two funding opportunities totaling more than $162 million to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions among cars, trucks, and off-road vehicles. The funding will support the next stage of the SuperTruck initiatives—aimed at electrifying freight trucking—along with efforts to expand electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and lower emissions for on- and off-road vehicles.

SuperTruck 3 Funding Opportunity. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) initially launched the SuperTruck initiatives in 2009, aimed to improve heavy-duty truck freight efficiency by 50% (earlier post). The follow-up SuperTruck 2 in 2016 sought to double fuel efficiency for Class 8 trucks (earlier post). The initiatives attracted participation of truck makers representing more than 99% of the US truck market. Within seven years, four of them—Volvo, Daimler, Cummins/Peterbilt, and Navistar—had exceeded the first SuperTruck goal. The five SuperTruck 2 projects are on track to more than double class 8 miles per gallon.

EERE’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) are partnering on the “SuperTruck 3” Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0002450) to offer up to $100 million in funding over four years—subject to appropriations—to pioneer electrified medium- and heavy-duty trucks and freight system concepts that achieve even higher efficiency and lower emissions.

The funding focuses on a range of approaches to electrification—all-electric, plug-in hybrid systems using renewable biofuels, and hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, including hybridization strategies such as fuel cell range extenders.

Projects can include multiple vehicle types, reflecting that freight usually moves over multiple vehicles before reaching its end destination. The overall objective of each project should be to demonstrate how a substantial (75% or greater) reduction in the GHGs and local pollutants from the movement of goods in trucks can be achieved in a way that is economical and scaleable.

As part of the project analysis, the applicant will include a baseline reference vehicle(s) and the underlying system in which they operate that is equal in scope to the proposed project.

DOE anticipates selecting between 3 and 6 projects, with awards ranging from an anticipated $16-million minimum to a maximum of $33 million.

Low Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Technologies Funding Opportunity. VTO is also offering up to $62.75 million as part of its “Low Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Technologies Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment” (DE-FOA-0002475) for innovative solutions to reducing emissions and increasing efficiencies for on- and off-road vehicles.

The FOA has five major topic areas:

1. Electrification (Electric Vehicle Charging Community Partner Projects; Electric Vehicle Workplace Charging; Reducing the Cost of DC Fast Charging Equipment)

2. Off-road technologies (Research to Transform the Efficiency of Off-Road Vehicles; Electrified Construction Vehicle Research, Development, and Validation)

3. Fuels research (Natural Gas Engine Enabling Technologies; Dimethyl Ether and Propane Engine Enabling Technologies)

4. Advanced Combustion Engine R&D (Integrated Hybrid System with Opposed Piston 2-Stroke engine (OP2S))

5. Technology Integration (Natural Gas Vehicle Technology Proof of Concept)