The U.S. Department of Energy awarded $42 million in funding for 12 R&D projects aiming to develop advanced electric vehicle batteries.
The funding will strengthen the domestic supply chain for EV batteries, the DOE said in a statement Wednesday.
The projects selected are part of the DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Electric Vehicles for American Low-Carbon Living program (EVs4ALL).
Program spokesperson Molly Morrissey told Automotive News that the goal is to make EVs more accessible and sensible by removing key technology barriers. The program will yield batteries that last longer, charge faster, perform efficiently in freezing temperatures and have greater range retention, the department said.
"Electric vehicle sales in America have tripled since the start of this Administration and by addressing battery efficiency, resiliency and affordability, the projects announced today will make EVs attractive to even more drivers," U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
The following projects were selected for DOE funding:
- 24M Technologies of Cambridge, Mass., received $3.2 million to develop low-cost, fast-charging sodium-metal batteries with good low-temperature performance.
- Ampcera of Tuscon, Ariz., received $2.1 million to develop a thermally modulated solid-state battery for safe fast-charging EVs.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory of Golden, Colo., received $3.4 million to assess the safety of next-generation energy storage cells.
- Project K of Palo Alto, Calif., received $2.6 million for its development and commercialization of a potassium ion battery that charges faster and operates at lower temperatures than lithium ion batteries.
- Sandia National Laboratories of Albuquerque, N.M., received $3.7 million to develop a novel predictive simulation evaluating the safety of EVs4ALL batteries.
- Solid Power Operating of Thornton, Colo., received $5.6 million to develop nickel- and cobalt-free solid-state battery cells. Replacing these materials with sulfur could lead to a lower-cost, fast-charging EV battery with improved energy, CEO David Jansen said in a statement Thursday.
- South 8 Technologies of San Diego received $3.1 million to develop high-power lithium ion battery cells that charge rapidly using novel liquefied gas electrolyte technology.
- The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, received $3.9 million to scale its high-power battery technology prototype with longevity and rapid charging.
- Tyfast Energy of San Diego received $2.8 million to enable a high-energy-density ultrafast-charging battery with a long cycle life using a new combination of electrode materials and electrolyte chemistry.
- University of Maryland of College Park, Md., received $4.8 million to increase the energy density, operating temperature window and charge/discharge rate compatibility of solid-state lithium metal batteries.
- Virginia Tech of Blacksburg, Va., received $2.9 million to develop batteries using coal-derived anodes, fast-charging and all-weather electrolytes and cathodes free of nickel and cobalt. The development will reduce cathode cost by 50 percent, anode cost by 75 percent and coal waste.
- Zeta Energy of Houston received $4 million to create an accessible and rechargeable anode that minimizes low-temperature performance losses and enables high charge rates and long-term stability.
