U.S. Drive Expands Industry Partnerships for Next-Gen Auto Technologies

Posted

The U.S. Department of Energy has expanded U.S. DRIVE (Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle Efficiency and Energy Sustainability), an industry partnership to advance clean, energy efficient technologies for cars and light trucks, as well as to develop the infrastructure to support their widespread use.

Two new members bring additional focus on electric-drive vehicle technologies to the partnership. The Electric Power Research Institute and Tesla Motors will join DOE and other industry partners that have renewed their commitments to collaborative, pre-competitive R&D.

U.S. DRIVE partners will target a portfolio of advanced automotive and energy infrastructure technologies, including batteries and electric-drive components, advanced combustion engines, lightweight materials, and fuel cells and hydrogen technologies.

The program aims to facilitate frequent and detailed technical information exchange among the partners, to avoid duplicating efforts in government and industry, and ensure that publicly funded research delivers high-value results that help overcome key barriers to technology commercialization. It continues the 2003 FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership.

The full list of U.S. DRIVE partners includes:

Auto industry – United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (the collaborative research company for Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors) and Tesla Motors.

Energy industry – BP America, Chevron Corporation, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil Corporation, and Shell Oil Products US.

Electric utility industry – DTE Energy, Southern California Edison, and the Electric Power Research Institute.

Environment + Energy Leader