The Department of Energy is funding nearly $300 million in new research for clean vehicle technologies and partnering with a utility research group on electric vehicle integration into the power grid, Mark W. Menezes, the department’s No. 2 official, announced on Thursday.
The two actions, which Menezes announced at the Washington Auto Show, represent a push toward developing cleaner vehicle technologies, including electric cars, even as other parts of the administration reject policies that would directly incentivize them.
For example, the White House is reviewing a final rule by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department expected to sharply weaken Obama-era fuel economy standards. The Trump administration has also tied the hands of states wanting to set stricter greenhouse gas tailpipe limits by eliminating California’s ability to do so under the Clean Air Act.
The White House has also opposed bipartisan efforts in Congress to expand electric vehicle tax credits.
Menezes, though, boasted about the Energy Department’s new research dollars, telling auto industry representatives at the annual auto show the programs are intended to provide “greater choices on how to meet your transportation needs.”
He also announced a memorandum of understanding with the Electric Power Research Institute to focus on speeding deployment of electric transportation systems. That includes a focus on charging technologies, including fast charging and energy storage integration, as well as how to integrate electric car charging into utility planning and operations, Menezes said.
“The MOU will enable us to work together toward a more resilient and reliable grid, even as we ask it to do more to power EVs,” he added.
The new research funding will be housed in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in three separate vehicles programs.
The biggest chunk of the funding, $133 million, will be available for several clean vehicle technologies, including electrification and advanced batteries; lightweight materials, often used in fuel efficient cars; and energy-efficient mobility systems.
Another $100 million of the funds will support the Energy Department’s biofuels work, including efforts to cut the costs of drop-in biofuels, which are biofuels that can be subbed in easily for conventional gasoline because they are compatible with existing car engines.
The rest of the funds, $64 million, will add to the department’s hydrogen research, which aims to expand the market for hydrogen in multiple applications. That includes in fuel cell vehicles, with potential applications in heavy-duty trucks as well as for data centers and steel production, according to the department’s announcement.
