The U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday that six companies will receive nearly $30 million in funding for research and development of advanced vehicle technologies.
The money will fund projects on battery and thermoelectric technologies and so-called aerodynamic trailers.
The announcement comes as interest in fuel efficient cars has surged, spurred by volatile oil prices and concerns over climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M, BASF Catalyst, based in Iselin, New Jersey, and FMC Corporation of Charlotte, North Carolina were selected by the agency for their focus on improving battery performance and manufacturing processes. Their work could help reduce the cost of batteries for plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Big Three automakers Ford and GM were picked because of their work on thermoelectric systems in vehicles. The use of thermoelectric technology could increase vehicle efficiency by reducing the load on engines for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
The DOE selected Wayne, Indiana truckmaker Navistar International to accelerate the development of advanced aerodynamic trailers. The technology could reduce fuel consumption of heavy-duty tractor trailers.
The funding announcement is part of the department’s ongoing work to administer loans and grants to develop advanced vehicle technologies, a role assigned by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.