Boost for Battery Research

Ford, General Motors, and DaimlerChrysler, as members of the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), have signed research agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy to support continued research and development in the areas of lightweight materials and advanced battery technologies for vehicles. The agreements represent a total investment potential of $195 million over the next five years, most of which will be passed via subcontracts to suppliers and research institutions through the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) and U.S. Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP), both consortia of USCAR.

 

Some $125 million will go to USABC to split the cost of research and development for a number of new battery materials and technologies that aim to increase energy storage and charge/discharge performance, improve durability and reliability, and reduce cost. Similarly, $70 million for USAMP will go toward developing new materials and technologies that will reduce weight without compromising the durability, reliability, and safety of vehicles.