U.S. DOE awards funds to develop advanced vehicle technologies

Steven Chu, U.S. energy secretary, said the Department of Energy (DOE) will provide more than US$175 million to fund the development of advanced vehicle technology which will pave the way for the development of fuel efficient vehicles. This funding will include 40 projects covering eight different approaches to improve vehicle efficiency. The areas of vehicle development being funded include advanced fuels and lubricants; light weighting materials; light-weight multi-material prototypes; advanced cells and design technology for electric drive batteries; advanced power electronics and electric motor technology; thermoelectric and enabling engine technology; fleet efficiency; and, advanced vehicle testing and evaluation. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is one of the project recipients, receiving US$1.2 million to study the use of ionic liquids as multi-functional lubricant additives. The goal of the project is to develop lower viscosity engine oils for improved engine efficiency and other advanced vehicle technology, another step towards the mass production of fuel efficient vehicles. (August 10, 2011)