DOE Awards $131M for EV Battery and Charging Projects
WASHINGTON — The Department of Energy announced on Monday that it is making $131 million available for projects advancing the development of electric vehicle batteries and charging systems.
The funding is divided into two tranches. The first, representing a total $71 million, will go to 27 projects aimed at alleviating supply chain concerns for EV batteries and increasing EV drive range.
The second, $60 million tranche, is being awarded to an entity called the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, of Southfield, Michigan. It is essentially a subsidiary of the U.S. Council for Automotive Research.
USCAR, meanwhile, is an umbrella organization for collaborative research that comprises Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Stellantis.
According to a press release from the DOE, this advanced battery consortium will work towards developing advanced technologies that will decarbonize transportation and support R&D that is responsive to the needs of EV manufacturers and battery suppliers.
At the same time, the consortium will be tasked with advancing battery research and development that is relevant and responsive to the needs of EV manufacturers and “will contribute to the domestic battery supply chain and recycling ecosystem,” the department said.
You can learn more about the selected projects and other work funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
The department stressed that selection to what it calls “award negotiations” is not a commitment to issue an award or provide funding.
Instead, it said, the projects selected for the award will have to engage in a negotiation process that the department can end for any reason.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue