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Recovery Act Announcement: Secretary Chu
Announces $187 Million to Improve Vehicle Efficiency for
Heavy-Duty Trucks and Passenger Vehicles
1.12.10 -
At an event in Columbus, Indiana, Secretary Chu
announced the selection of nine projects totaling more than
$187 million to improve fuel efficiency for heavy-duty
trucks and passenger vehicles. The funding includes more
than $100 million from the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, and with a private cost share of 50%, will
support nearly $375 million in total research, development,
and demonstration projects across the country. The nine
winners have stated their projects will create over 500
jobs, primarily researchers, engineers, and managers who
will develop these new technologies. By 2015, the projects
expect to create over 6,000 jobs—many in manufacturing and
assembly.
Currently, the transportation sector accounts for 28% of
total U.S. energy use. As these vehicle technologies are
adopted broadly across the country, they could save more
than 100 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per day, and
reduce carbon emissions from on-road vehicles by 20% by
2030.
"By investing Recovery
dollars in next generation fuel efficient trucks here at
home, we're not only creating new job opportunities now, but
helping lay a new foundation to keep American auto
manufacturers competitive in the 21st century global
marketplace," said Vice President Biden. "Through strategic
public-private investments like these, the Recovery Act is
helping lay the groundwork for an expansion of our clean
energy economy."
"Improving the
efficiency of our vehicles is critical to reducing America's
dependence on foreign oil and addressing climate change,"
said Secretary Chu. "Today's awards will help demonstrate
the potential benefits for long-haul trucks and passenger
vehicles and will play an important role in building a more
sustainable transportation system for the country."
Three projects will
focus on cost-effective measures to improve the efficiency
of Class 8 long-haul freight trucks by 50%. These projects
will receive more than $115 million in funding to develop
and demonstrate systems-level fuel efficiency technologies
by 2015, including improved aerodynamics, reducing engine
idling technologies, waste heat recovery to increase engine
efficiency, advanced combustion techniques, and powertrain
hybridization.
The remaining six
projects totaling more than $71 million will support efforts
to increase the fuel economy for passenger vehicle engines
and powertrain systems. The goal is to develop engine
technologies that will improve the fuel economy of passenger
vehicles by 25-40% by 2015 using an engine-only approach.
The following projects
have been selected for awards under two topic areas:
Systems Level Technology
Development, Integration, and Demonstration for Efficient
Class 8 Trucks (SuperTrucks)
- Cummins Inc. -
$38,831,115 - Columbus, Indiana: Develop and
demonstrate a highly efficient and clean diesel engine, an
advanced waste heat recovery system, an aerodynamic
Peterbilt tractor and trailer combination, and a fuel cell
auxiliary power unit to reduce engine idling.
- Daimler Trucks
North America, LLC - $39,559,868 - Portland, Oregon:
Develop and demonstrate technologies including engine
downsizing, electrification of auxiliary systems such as
oil and water pumps, waste heat recovery, improved
aerodynamics and hybridization.
- Navistar, Inc.
- $37,328,933 - Fort Wayne, Indiana: Develop and
demonstrate technologies to improve truck and trailer
aerodynamics, combustion efficiency, waste heat recovery,
hybridization, idle reduction, and reduced rolling
resistance tires.
Advanced Technology
Powertrains for Light-Duty Vehicles (ATP-LD)
- Chrysler Group
LLC - $14,458,572 - Auburn Hills, Michigan: Develop a
flexible combustion system for their minivan platform
based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct
gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases, and
flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.
- Cummins Inc. -
$15,000,000 - Columbus, Indiana: Develop a
fuel-efficient, low emissions diesel engine that achieves
a 40% fuel economy improvement over conventional gasoline
technology and significantly exceeds 2010 EPA emissions
requirements.
- Delphi
Automotive Systems LLC - $7,480,572 - Troy, Michigan:
Develop a novel low-temperature combustion system, coupled
with technologies such as continuously variable valve
control and engine downspeeding, to improve fuel economy
by at least 25%.
- Ford Motor
Company - $15,000,000 - Dearborn, Michigan: Achieve a
25% fuel economy improvement with a gasoline engine in a
2010 mid- to large-size sedan using technologies including
engine downsizing, turbo-charging, direct injection, and a
novel exhaust aftertreatment system.
- General Motors
Co. - $7,705,862 - Pontiac, Michigan: Develop an
engine that uses lean combustion and active heat
management, as well as a novel emissions control system,
to improve the fuel economy of a 2010 Malibu demonstration
vehicle by 25%.
- Robert Bosch -
$11,953,786 - Farmington Hills, Michigan: Demonstrate
a high compression, turbo-charged engine based on
homogenous charge compression ignition technology (a
combustion technology that allows for lower emissions and
higher efficiency) to achieve up to 30% fuel economy
improvement in a gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicle.
The lead applicant on
each proposal is listed above. The final details of each
award contract will be finalized in negotiations between DOE
and the grantee.
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