EERE Funding Opportunities

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) entitled “Fiscal Year 2025 Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement.”

The research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) activities to be funded under this NOFO will improve transportation by driving the innovation that can lead to the accelerated deployment of advanced technologies while also significantly improving U.S. competitiveness. This will lead to benefits including increased safety and reliability of batteries, more convenient travel options, decreased cost of driving, increased vehicle and system efficiency, and a more secure supply chain. Specifically, this NOFO is seeking innovative solutions for on-road and off-road vehicles in the areas of improved battery technology for both light- and heavy-duty applications, smart charging infrastructure, sustainable farming, workforce development, and demonstration and deployment of these new technologies.  Topics in this NOFO include:

• Topic Area 1: Technologies for Enhanced Lithium-ion Cell Safety
• Topic Area 2a: Low-Cost Production of Lithium
• Topic Area 2b: Lithium Metal Surface Protection
• Topic Area 3a: Ultra-Long-Cycle Life Li-Ion Batteries for Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks
• Topic Area 3b: Standardized Battery Module Design for Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks
• Topic Area 4: Thermal Technologies for Zero Emission Vehicles
• Topic Area 5: Optimized Grid Planning for Electric Vehicles Using Advanced Metering Infrastructure
• Topic Area 6: CROP - Co-located Renewable-Fuel and Off-road Vehicle Pilots
• Topic Area 7: Vehicle Life Cycle Analysis Baseline
• Topic Area 8: Quality Improvements of Battery Busbar Joining
• Topic Area 9: Electric Vehicle Workforce Development
• Topic Area 10: Vehicle Technology Integration-Open Topic

The anticipated FOA and any related activities support BIL Section 40208, Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second-Life Applications Program aimed at "research, development, and demonstration of:

• second-life applications for electric drive vehicle batteries that have been used to power electrive drive vehicles; and
• technologies and processes for final recycling and disposal of the [electric drive vehicle batteries].

Amendment 000001:  The purpose of Amendment 000001 is to revise the Funding Opportunity Announcement to add a work performance requirement for AOI 2 eligible applicants (universities/institutions of higher education) where they must perform at least 70% of the project work.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) seeks applications to address priorities in several areas critical to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, including: development of innovative battery chemistries and component materials, reduction of cascading battery fires, and battery electrode, cell, and pack manufacturing cost reduction.

The purpose of Amendment 000002 is to revise the Funding Opportunity Announcement to revise Section I.B. Area of Interest 1 - General Requirements Item 11. - Definition of Project Progress Cells (PPCs) and Project Completion Cells (PCCs).

The purpose of Amendment 000001 is to revise the Funding Opportunity Announcement to add additional funding to Area of Interest 3, increase the total Estimated Funding total, increase the number of Estimated Funding Revised number of awards, and revise Section IV.D.vii. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) seeks research projects to address priorities in the following areas: the increase in energy density of battery cells containing phosphate-based cathodes; the development of innovative technologies capable of significantly decreasing greenhouse gases; the production and manufacturing of new high-performance E–steels using domestic resources; the advancement of state of the art Na-ion batteries; the improvement of efficiency and convenience of the mobility-system using V2X; the development of planning tools and/or models to identify, quantify, and assess the impact of convenience strategies on regions and/or communities; addressing vulnerabilities and potential cybersecurity threats posed by the nature of EVs and charging infrastructure integrated with the grid, to improve fuel economy and reduce GHG emissions with the goals of carbon pollution free electricity by 2035 and net-zero of GHG emissions by 2050.

The anticipated FOA targets Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) research and development projects potentially including:

• Demonstration of Smart Charge Management for Electric Vehicles
• Improved 12 Volt Lead Acid Batteries for Safety-Critical Electric Vehicle Applications
• Develop Vehicle or Structural Level Strategies to Reduce the Likelihood of the Cascading Effects of Electric Vehicle Fires
• Battery Electrode, Cell, and Pack Manufacturing Cost Reduction
• Silicon-Based Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries
• High Energy Density Conversion Cathodes

In September 2022, the U.S. Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency executed an historic memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the signatory agencies to accelerate our nation’s affordable and equitable clean transportation future.¹ As a result of the comprehensive decarbonization strategy called for in the MOU, those agencies issued the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, which set the goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the transportation sector – including off-road equipment – by 2050^2. The Transition to net-zero emission technologies requires coordination among all aspects of the supply chain, including feedstock supply, alternative fuel production, equipment manufacturers, safety implementation, customer demand, and government regulation. To develop a national strategy to decarbonize the sector, three critical questions must be addressed:

1. What is the current state of the off-road vehicle fleet?
2. Which powertrain technologies are most promising for decarbonization of off-road vehicles?
3. What is the timeline for the off-road sector to transition to net-zero emission GHG technologies?

“Off-road vehicles are primarily designed to operate away from existing roadways. This category contains a disparate and very diverse set of vehicles and use cases, including construction and mining equipment, industrial equipment, agriculture equipment, lawn and garden equipment, and recreational vehicles.”¹

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to understand the off-road sector alternative propulsion technology preferences, which technologies seem most promising, and what are the key barriers to achieving the transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. The propulsion technologies under consideration for this RFI are: biodiesel, renewable diesel, renewable natural gas, battery electric, direct electrification (catenary), electric hybridization, hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cells. Currently, no one alternative propulsion technology is a clear choice for sector decarbonization. This RFI is an attempt to aggregate knowledge from stakeholders to help guide actions regarding future propulsion technologies, research and infrastructure investments, and coordination among key stakeholders to ensure that the off-road sector is meeting or exceeding U.S. decarbonization milestones.

This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to CleanMachines@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00p.m. (ET) on June 7, 2024. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Preferred responses should be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) (10 page limit) and/or Microsoft Excel (.xslx) attachments to the email. If necessary, a plain text file (.txt) may be submitted. Only electronic responses will be accepted. Please identify your answers by responding to a specific question or topic if applicable. Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they wish.

Please see the full RFI document in the Documents section below.

[1]https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/mou-doe-dot-epa-hud-final_09-15-2022.pdf

[2] https://www.energy.gov/eere/us-national-blueprint-transportation-decarboniation-joint-strategy-transform-transportation

Modification 000001: Submission deadline for full applications has been moved from 6/28 to 7/11. Deadline for replies to reviewer comments has been moved accordingly to 8/16. Expected date for selection notifications has been moved to 10/1 and timeframe for negotiations has been moved to October-December 2024.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) as part of their Interconnection Innovation Exchange (i2X) program1 to support innovative work to enable simpler, faster, and fairer interconnection of clean energy resources while enhancing the reliability, resiliency, and security of our electrical grid.

The two FOA topic areas are as follows:

Topic Area 1: Improved Efficiency of EMT Simulations for Interconnection Studies of IBRs Projects in this topic area will seek to improve the efficiency of the interconnection study process for new IBRs, such as solar and wind plants and battery energy storage systems, by improving software tools to study plant dynamics to increase long-term plant reliability. Projects will achieve this both by improving the speed of advanced, high-fidelity EMT modeling and simulation tools used in power systems interconnection studies and by developing a better understanding of when such high-fidelity simulations are necessary in the interconnection process.

Topic Area 2: Dynamic Stability-Enhanced Network Assessment Tools Projects in this topic area will develop tools to provide stakeholders with data on transmission system characteristics related to stability, voltage, and grid strength while securing confidential and critical energy infrastructure information. Projects will establish the type of information required by stakeholders, develop a tool or tools, and test and evaluate those tools on at least one real transmission system.

Topic Area 1 is primarily focused on the improvement of software tools, methods, or processes used to conduct EMT studies, the results of which will inform the transmission system interconnection stakeholders in Topic Area 2. Projects in Topic Area 2 do not need to be focused solely on transmission system characteristics based on EMT studies.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is being issued by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO). The goals of this FOA are to advance manufacturing platform technologies in the following specific areas:

• Platforms for next generation battery manufacturing - focusing on manufacturability and scalability of critical battery components and system architectures as well as the role of machines for battery techonlogies (i.e., sodium-ion batteries (NIBs), flow batteries, and nanolayered films)
• Smart manufacturing platforms for battery production - developing innovative ways to revolutionize battery prouction by maximizing the benefits of smart manufacturing

This FOA will support activities to advance platform techonologies that enable flexible, scalable, and highly controllable battery manufacturing processes. Topics include:

1. Platforms for Next Generation Battery Manufacturing

     1.1 Processes and Machines for Sodium-ion Batteries

     1.2 Processes and Design for Manufacturability of Flow Batteries

     1.3 Scalable Manufacturing of Nanolayered Films for Energy Storage

2. Smart Manufacturing Platforms for Battery Production

The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of, and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

Please see the full FOA in the DOCUMENTS section below.

This FOA will advance research, development, demonstration and deployment (RDD&D) in several areas critical to achieving net-zero greenhouse (GHG) emission by 2050 including:

Development of innovative battery chemistries, reducing GHG emissions in off-road vehicles, improving transportation efficiency via connected vehicles, domestic production of electric steels and improved cybersecurity for electric vehicle charging.

The anticipated FOA targets Vehicle Technologies research and development projects potentially including:

Next Generation Phosphate-Based Cathodes

Na-ion Battery Seedling Projects for Electric Vehicle Applications

Low GHG Concepts for Off-Road Vehicles

Saving Energy with Connectivity

Domestically Produced E-Steels

Cybersecurity for Smart and Secure Electric Vehicle Charging

The activities to be funded under this FOA support BIL section 40208, Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second-Life Applications Program, and the broader government-wide approach to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical materials to maximize the benefits of the clean energy transition as the nation works to curb the climate crisis, empower workers, and advance environmental justice. This BIL section is focused on research, development, and demonstration of:

· second-life applications for electric drive vehicle batteries that have been used to power electric drive vehicles; and

· technologies and processes for final recycling and disposal of electric drive vehicle batteries

The anticipated FOA and any related activities support BIL section 40208, Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second-Life Application Program aimed at research, development, and demonstration of

• second-life applications for electric drive vehicle batteries that have been used to power electric drive vehicles; and
• technologies and processes for final recycling and disposal of the [electric drive vehicle batteries].

This Funding Opportunity Announcement will support the Government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, the Research and Development activities funded under this Announcement will ensure relevance and responsiveness to the needs of electric vehicle manufacturers via working with, and through a consortium, that brings together a significant fraction of the major manufacturers of electric drive vehicles in the United States, to manage pre-competitive, vehicle-related Research and Development in advanced battery technology, with substantial involvement by the Department of Energy.

Please see the entire FOA for details assoicated with this FOA.

Amendment 000004: The purpose of this Amendment is to reopen the FOA to solicit Full Applications for Topic Area 4 (only), remove the requirement to submit a Concept Paper, and incorporate Pre-Selection interviews.  Topic Areas 1-3 are now closed.   

This program will provide funding to support the recycling of consumer electronics batteries and battery-containing devices to help build a robust domestic critical material supply chain for EV batteries in the United States. The funding will accomplish this by: 1) Increase participation by consumers in recycling programs; 2) Improve the economics of consumer battery recycling to create a market for recycling, including battery recycling research, development, and demonstration activities to create innovative and practical approaches to increase the reuse and recycling of batteries; and 3) Increase the number of these programs, including state and local programs to assist in the establishment or enhancement of state consumer electronics battery collection, recycling, and reprocessing programs and to establish collection points at retailers.

Modification 0001 Announcement:

Updated the section for “Waiver Requests: Foreign Entities and Foreign Work (if applicable)” on page 27.

The RD&D activities to be funded under this Lab Call will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, the solid-state and flow battery manufacturing technologies in this Lab Call each have the potential to make a unique contribution to decarbonization of the grid, industry, and transportation. Generally, this Lab Call supports battery manufacturing innovation to enable the energy infrastructure needed for carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and net zero GHG emissions by 2050.

This Lab Call is divided into two topics: Topic 1) Developing Innovative Solid-State Battery Manufacturing Capabilities, and Topic 2) Developing Innovative Flow Battery Manufacturing Capabilities.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Building Technologies Office (BTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2022/2023”.

The 2022/2023 BENEFIT FOA will invest up to $15.35M - $45.2M across 5 topic areas to allow all interested parties to research and develop high-impact, cost-effective technologies and practices that will reduce carbon emissions, improve flexibility and resilience, as well as lower energy costs.

Topic 1: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning and Water Heating: Technologies with improved materials, components, equipment design and engineering, lower cost manufacturing processes, and easier installation.

Topic 2: Thermal Energy Storage (TES): Development and validation of next generation plug-and-play TES products with improved cost and performance and ease of installation to accelerate adoption of TES in HVAC applications.

Topic 3: Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Development, validation, and demonstration of product innovations that reduce the cost of BESS integration, improve the coordination between distributed BESS and the electrical grid, as well as help meet building decarbonization targets.

Topic 4: Plug Loads/Lighting: Integration of plug load controls with connected lighting systems in commercial buildings with minimal cost and complexity to support building electrification.

Topic 5: Opaque Building Envelope: Development, validation, and demonstration of high-impact, affordable. opaque building envelope retrofit and diagnostic technologies.

BTO is compiling a “teaming” partner list to facilitate widespread participation in this FOA. This list allows organizations with expertise in the topics to express their interest to potential applicants and to explore potential partnerships. Please see the Teaming List section of the FOA document for more information.

The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of, and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Building Technologies Office (BTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) - 2022”.

This potential FOA is expected to support the development, validation, and demonstration of novel building technologies and retrofit practices that have significant potential for equitable carbon savings through building electrification, energy efficiency, and demand flexibility. The FOA will also enhance building and grid resilience, affordability of efficient technologies and practices, and ensure environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

It is anticipated that the FOA may include the following Areas of Interest:

• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Water Heating (WH)
• Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
• Plug Loads/Lighting
• Opaque Building Envelope

BTO is compiling a “teaming” partner list to facilitate widespread participation in this FOA. This list allows organizations with expertise in the topics to express their interest to potential applicants and to explore potential partnerships. Please see the Teaming List section of the NOI document for more information.

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of the EERE’s intention to issue this FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this Notice is subject to change. EERE will not respond to questions concerning this Notice. Once the FOA has been released, EERE will provide an avenue for potential Applicants to submit questions.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office and Geothermal Technologies Office, a joint Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Lithium Extraction & Conversion from Geothermal Brines”.

Through this FOA, EERE seeks to address gaps in domestic supply chains for lithium batteries for electric vehicles and stationary storage. The U.S. currently has limited production of lithium from domestic sources and also lacks domestic capabilities to refine materials needed to support component manufacturing – including lithium hydroxide needed for lithium battery cathode production. Geothermal brines have proven to be a sustainable resource of critical materials including lithium. Direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines represents an opportunity to produce lithium hydroxide from domestic sources in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

The goals of this FOA are to:

• Enable environmentally and socially responsible domestic manufacturing of battery-grade (i.e., high purity) lithium hydroxide from geothermal brines;

• Diversify the domestic supply of lithium hydroxide;

• Validate and demonstrate domestic pilot plants and related technologies to support the transition to U.S. manufacturing; and

• Mature nascent technologies, processes, and methods to improve treatment of direct lithium extraction influent and effluent streams.

DOE is compiling a “teaming” partner list to facilitate widespread participation in this FOA. This list allows organizations with expertise in the topics to express their interest to potential applicants and to explore potential partnerships. Please see the Teaming List section of the NOI document for more information.

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of the EERE’s intention to issue this FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this Notice is subject to change. EERE will not respond to questions concerning this Notice. Once the FOA has been released, EERE will provide an avenue for potential Applicants to submit questions.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) on behalf of the Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chains Office in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office. This RFI seeks public input to help inform DOE’s implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The Information collected may be used to inform DOE planning related to the following BIL Sections.

Section 40207(e), titled Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize.

Section 40207(f) titled, Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling: Battery Recycling Research, Development, and Demonstration Grants.

Section 40208 titled, Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second-Life Program.

The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) is seeking information to better understand the barriers to deploying onsite clean energy and storage technologies at industrial facilities and pathways for accelerated adoption. These technologies include, but are not limited to, solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, wind power, renewable fuels, geothermal, bioenergy, battery storage, and thermal storage technologies. This request for information (RFI) is focused on understanding the current state of knowledge and uptake of these technologies by industrial energy users, opportunities and barriers for technology integration at industrial facilities, existing technical assistance and resources available for technology evaluation and deployment, and pathways to accelerate the adoption of onsite clean energy technologies.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, utilities, and other stakeholders on issues related to the deployment of onsite clean energy and storage technologies, including solar, solar thermal, wind power, renewable fuels, geothermal, battery storage, and thermal storage, at industrial facilities. EERE is specifically interested in information on the key barriers that manufacturers are encountering during technology evaluation and implementation of clean energy projects. EERE is also interested in the current state of knowledge and uptake of onsite clean energy technologies, existing technical assistance and resources for project evaluation and deployment, and potential pathways for accelerating the integration of clean energy technologies in the industrial sector. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technology Office, a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) entitled “Fiscal Year 2022 Vehicle Technologies Office Program Wide FOA”.

The RDD&D activities to be funded under this anticipated FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will advance RDD&D in several areas critical to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, including: advancement of electric drive technologies using less rare-earth metal, reduction of weight of battery electric vehicle (BEV) technologies, electrification of non-road vehicles, improvements in off-road vehicle charging, improved efficiency of engines using low-carbon fuels, and deployment of these technologies among diverse communities.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is issuing, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Projects awarded under this FOA will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).  The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, which will grow a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy through enhancing U.S. competitiveness in the world, creating good jobs, ensuring stronger access to these economic benefits for disadvantaged communities. The BIL appropriates more than $62 billion to DOE to deliver a more equitable clean energy future for the American people.

The BIL will invest more than $7 billion in the batteries supply chain over the five year period encompassing fiscal years (FYs) 2022 through 2026. This includes sustainable sourcing and processing of the critical minerals used in battery production without new extraction or mining all the way through end-of-life battery collection and recycling.

This FOA and any related activities support BIL section 40208. The sections are focused on Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second-Life Program which includes second-life applications for electric drive vehicle batteries that have been used to power electric drive vehicles; and technologies and processes for final recycling and disposal of the electric drive vehicle batteries.

Reviewer Comments were emailed to the Business Point of Contact and the Technical Point of Contact (who are listed in Exchange) on August 24, 2022.

The Reply to Reviewer Comments is ONLY being accepted in Exchange from August 24, 2022, 5:00 PM ET until September 1, 2022, at 5:00 PM ET.

Your submission must conform to the content and form requirements, including maximum page lengths, described in Section IV.E of the FOA. Please note – it is not a mandatory requirement to provide a Reply to Reviewer comments.

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The purpose of this amendment is to change the Letter of Intent from required to strongly encouraged; to clarify the content and process for a Letter of Intent; and to clarify the requirements for AOIs 3,4, 5, and 10; and to correct language in Criterion 2a. Section V.A.

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The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) are issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) No. DE-FOA-0002678 entitled Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Funding Opportunity Announcement.

The FOA supports the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL) goals of delivering more clean energy, create new, good-paying jobs and lowering costs for American families and workers by guiding the Nation towards a one hundred percent carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero economy by 2050.

For complete details on the FOA, please download the PDF. Please be sure to use the latest version of Adobe to avoid potentiial download issues. If you are still having issues, please try a different browser.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second-Life Applications”.

The anticipated FOA supports the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) goals of delivering more clean energy, create new, good-paying jobs and lowering costs for American families and workers by guiding the Nation towards a 100% carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero economy by 2050. This anticipated FOA is directed to satisfying 40208.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) No. DE-FOA-0002678 entitled Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Funding Opportunity Announcement. The Notice can be downloaded at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. The anticipated FOA supports the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL) goals of delivering more clean energy, create new, good-paying jobs and lowering costs for American families and workers by guiding the Nation towards a one hundred percent carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero economy by 2050.

The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) funds a broad portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects to develop affordable, efficient and clean transportation options to tackle the climate crisis and accelerate the development and widespread use of a variety of innovative transportation technologies. The FOA may seek applications for demonstration and commercial scale projects for processing lithium ion battery materials; and applications for demonstration and commercial scale projects for advanced lithium ion battery component manufacturing, advanced lithium ion battery manufacturing, and recycling.

Amendment 000003: The purpose of this amendment is to incorporate “Appendix G -- 2021 DOE EERE Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Applicant Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Supplement.” 

Amendment 000002: The purpose of this amendment is to revise Section IV.D, Content and Form of the Full Application, to add a required Location of Work component. Please reference the highlighted yellow sections on page 31 and 40 of the FOA for reference.

Amendment 000001: The purpose of this amendment is to provide further information regarding Cost Share Payments and provide clarification that FFRDCs will be treated as a subrecipient instead of doing work through a Field Work Proposal. See the highlighted yellow sections on page 23 and 25 of the FOA for reference.

The purpose of the announcement is to solicit innovative R&D concepts to enable medium- and heavy-duty original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers, and fleet partners to develop higher efficiency trucks and freight systems that significantly reduce CO₂ emissions while meeting future criterion emission standards. DOE is seeking vehicle-level efficiency improvements for Class 7-8 regional-haul/long-haul trucks and Class 4-6 vocational trucks as well as system-level freight efficiency improvement (Class 4-8) beyond vehicle hardware. Projects will focus on real world operation with drive-cycle-based fuel economy including representative hub-to-hub routes and last-mile delivery. Predictive models will be developed to guide highest freight efficiency and lowest carbon footprint.

Continued engine research will further optimize efficiency, reduce emissions and allow the use of biofuels and hydrogen, including powertrain artificial intelligence (AI) control for hybrid applications. Projects will pursue a focus on electrification, including hydrogen and fuel cell technology (including hybridization strategies such as fuel cell range extenders), battery electric and plug-in hybrid systems. Projects may also utilize automation/connectivity capabilities to further improve freight efficiency. Fleets operators and companies with large captive fleets are encouraged to be integral parts of teams, from analysis to technology development, and may also lead teams, along with vehicle manufacturers or major suppliers.

The purpose of this amendment is to incorporate “Appendix G -- 2021 DOE EERE Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Applicant Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Supplement.” Please reference pages 88 and 89.

The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) funds a broad portfolio to catalyze research, development, and adoption of energy-related advanced manufacturing technologies and practices to increase energy productivity and drive U.S. economic competitiveness. AMO supports advancing energy storage in two ways: 1) Improving the manufacturability of emerging energy storage technologies to accelerate their adoption and grow domestic manufacturing; and 2) Increasing the economic competitiveness of industrial and commercial sectors by integrating energy storage into their operations.

Flow batteries have great potential to meet demand for grid-scale energy storage, which enables flexible, resilient, and efficient infrastructure. Through this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), AMO seeks proposals for collaborative, multi-stage R&D projects that focus on work to develop or improve manufacturing processes for individual flow battery components, followed by collaborative work to integrate those new or improved components into a prototype system with a mid-sized capacity for industrial applications. Projects selected will address gaps and challenges in energy storage manufacturing to:

• Enable cost-effective, scalable manufacturing for mid-sized (i.e., 10 – 100 kilowatt hour) flow battery systems;
• Test and validate the flow battery system’s manufacturability;
• Strengthen the U.S. flow battery supply chains by connecting battery manufacturing stakeholders.

EERE Exchange is designed to enforce the deadlines specified in this FOA. The “Apply” and “Submit” buttons will automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. Should applicants experience problems with EERE Exchange, the following information may be helpful.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@go.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov) The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@go.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of, and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the applicant through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

Informational Webinar:

An informational webinar will be held to provide information on the FOA to potential applicants on Thursday, April 1, 2021 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm ET.  Please find the link to the Informational Webinar on the title page of the FOA document.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) and the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "SuperTruck 3."

Building a clean energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. The Administration has laid out a bold plan to lead the world in building a clean energy economy, address climate change, and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering and catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment.

How freight moves is changing dramatically due to a number of factors including new technologies, business models, and consumer demands. Although Class 7-8 trucks are still the most significant consumer of fuel, medium duty Class 4-6 vehicles also offer significant opportunities for higher efficiency and electrification.

The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) funds a broad portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects to develop new affordable, efficient and clean transportation options to tackle the climate crisis and accelerate the development and widespread use of a variety of innovative transportation technologies. VTO-funded research has greatly reduced the cost of electric vehicle batteries and nearly every plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) on the road today uses VTO-developed battery technology. There are also efficiency opportunities beyond vehicle components and systems. Advances in connectivity and automation have the potential to dramatically improve transportation system-level energy efficiency, energy productivity, and affordability. VTO has developed robust modeling, simulation, and big data analytics capabilities, while research of advanced sensing and perception technologies, system controls, and other connected and automated technologies has advanced rapidly.

HFTO is focused on enabling large scale hydrogen production, delivery, storage, and use across applications and sectors, including medium and heavy-duty transportation. Interest in hydrogen powered medium/heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles is growing rapidly due to the benefits of zero tailpipe emissions and low life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, along with extended driving range, fast fueling times, high fuel efficiency, high power operation, and zero noise pollution.

In partnership with industry, EERE’s VTO and HFTO have established aggressive targets to focus research on cost-reduction, efficiency, and performance.

DE-FOA-0002358: Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s in support of Battery Critical Materials Supply Chain R&D.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to challenges and opportunities in the upstream and midstream critical materials battery supply chains. EERE is specifically interested in information on raw minerals production and refining and processing of cathode materials including cobalt, lithium, and nickel. This RFI is being issued by DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), in collaboration with the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) and Vehicles Technologies Office (VTO).

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. EERE will not pay for information provided under this RFI and no project will be supported as a result of this RFI. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance or financial incentives. EERE may or may not issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on consideration of the input received from this RFI.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to BatteryCriticalMaterialsRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on July 31, 2020. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) or pdf attachment to the email, and no more than 10 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

MODIFICATION 0004: The purpose of this modification is to correct Modification 0003 and clarify:

(1) the use of coal and coal-based sources is specifically not of interest under Topic Area 2 on page 19:

Proposed projects must not include coal or coal-based resources (see Section I.C of the FOA).

(2) the use of coal and coal-based sources is specifically not of interest under all Topic Areas of the FOA on page 21:

For applications under all Topic Areas of the FOA, proposed projects must not include coal or coal-based resources. Applicants may see Section I.E for additional details for related opportunities.

3) the submission deadlines are extended on page i.

Submission Deadline for Concept Papers:

6/29/20 5:00pm ET

Submission Deadline for Full Applications:

8/19/20 5:00pm ET

Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments:

9/17/20 5:00pm ET

MODIFICATION 0003: The purpose of this modification is to clarify the restrictions on the use of coal and coal-based sources in Topic Area 2 of the FOA on page 19 and page 21:

"For all Areas of Interest under Topic 2 of the FOA, flexible or mixed raw materials sources are of interest, but cannot include greater than 49% coal or coal-based sources by weight. Proposed projects to Topic Area 2 of this FOA must not be duplicative of existing efforts of the Feasibility of Recovery Rare Earth Elements Program at the National Energy Technology Laboratory."

MODIFICATION 0002: The purposes of this modification are to clarify:

(1) the definition of "raw materials" under this FOA on page 11:

"For the purposes of all topics in the FOA, "raw materials" refer to materials or minerals extracted from the natural environment and any associated waste streams, but do NOT include end-of-life products."; and

(2) which materials (raw materials vs. end-of-life products) are of interest for separation and processing under Topic 1 Area of Interest 2 on page 15:

Topic 1, Area of Interest 2, seeks projects to improve industrial beneficiation (froth flotation, magnetic separation, or gravity flotation), separation (solvent extraction) and/or processing (molten salt electrolysis and metallothermic reduction) of REEs. In addition to the Topic 1, Area of Interest 2, specific requirements below, improvements to REE separation and processing should be able to handle flexible feedstocks (Figure 3). Of particular interest are technologies that can handle both raw materials and end-of-life products. Proposed technologies cannot solely target end-of-life products, or propose end-of-life products as the material choice for demonstration of the proposed technology.

Battery Critical Materials

For Topic 1 Area of Interest 2, proposed improvements to separation and processing of cobalt, lithium, manganese, and synthetic graphite may include the ability to handle flexible feedstocks, i.e. technologies that can handle both raw materials.

MODIFICATION 0001: The purpose of this modification is to add general authorities that were transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Mines to the Department of Energy, on page 8 of the FOA:

“In addition, the Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1996 generally supports DOE research and development activities related to extraction, separation, and processing technologies. When the United States Bureau of Mines (BoM) was closed in 1996, Congress transferred certain BoM functions to DOE including research of the extraction, processing, use and disposal of mineral substances, and functions pertaining to mineral reclamation industries and the development of methods for the disposal, control, prevention, and reclamation of mineral waste products. See Pub. L. No. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321-167 (1996).”

ORIGINAL ANNOUNCMENT:

Through this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks to address gaps in domestic supply chains for key critical materials for clean energy technologies to:

- Enable domestic manufacturing of high energy efficiency and high energy density clean energy technologies;

- Diversify the domestic supply of critical materials; and

- Validate and demonstrate domestic innovative technologies to support the transition to U.S. manufacturing.

This will be accomplished through development of alternative next-generation technologies and field validation and demonstration of technologies that improve extraction, separation and processing. Key critical materials for energy technologies as defined in this FOA include: rare earth elements: neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), terbium (Tb), and samarium (Sm) used in permanent magnets for electric vehicle motors, wind turbine generators and high temperature applications; cobalt (Co) used in batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) and grid storage and high temperature permanent magnets; and lithium (Li), manganese (Mn) and natural graphite used in batteries (see table below).This FOA seeks to leverage the technology and capabilities developed at the Critical Materials Institute (CMI), an Energy Innovation Hub led by Ames Laboratory and managed by DOE.

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0002322 AMO 2020 FAQ Log at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

EERE Exchange is designed to enforce the deadlines specified in this FOA. The “Apply” and “Submit” buttons will automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. Should applicants experience problems with EERE Exchange, the following information may be helpful.

Applicants that experience issues with submission PRIOR to the FOA deadline: In the event that an applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the applicant should contact the EERE Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). The EERE Exchange helpdesk and/or the EERE Exchange system administrators will assist applicants in resolving issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in late submissions: In the event that an applicant experiences technical difficulties so severe that they are unable to submit their application by the deadline, the applicant should contact the EERE Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). The EERE Exchange helpdesk and/or the EERE Exchange system administrators will assist the applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing submission on behalf of and with the applicant’s concurrence). Please note, network traffic is at its heaviest during the final hours and minutes prior to submittal deadline. Applicants who experience this during the final hours or minutes and are unsuccessful in uploading documents will not be able to use this process.

NOTICE: The submission deadline for Full Applications has been extended to 09/12/2019 at 5 PM ET. Expected submission deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments has been extended to 10/23/219 at 5 PM ET. Please see updated Modification 0002 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement below for changes.

NOTICE: The submission deadline for Full Applications has been extended to 09/05/2019, 5:00pm ET. Please see updated Modification 0001 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement below for additional changes.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports federal investment in innovative, early-stage advanced manufacturing applied research and development (R&D) projects that focus on specific high-impact manufacturing technology, materials, and process challenges. The topics are aimed at foundational energy-related advanced manufacturing technologies that impact areas relevant to manufacturing processes (where energy costs are a determinant of competitive manufacturing) and broadly applicable platform technologies (the enabling base upon which other systems and applications can be developed). The competitively selected projects will focus on developing next-generation manufacturing material, information, and process technologies that improve energy efficiency in energy intensive and energy dependent processes.

With this FOA, the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) intends to fund high-impact, early to mid-stage research in the following topic areas:

Topic 1: Innovations for the Manufacture of Advanced Materials

Subtopic 1.1: Accelerate the Manufacturing Process Design and Development Cycle for Advanced Energy Conversion and Storage Materials

Subtopic 1.2: Innovative Manufacturing Processes for Battery Energy Storage

Subtopic 1.3: Materials and Manufacturing Process Development of Nanocrystalline Metal Alloys

Subtopic 1.4: Process-Informed Science, Design, and Engineering of Materials and Devices Operating in Harsh Service Conditions

Topic 2: Lower Thermal Budget (LTB) Processes for Industrial Efficiency & Productivity

Subtopic 2.1: Advances in Industrial and Process Drying

Subtopic 2.2: Thermal Process Intensification

Topic 3: Connected, Flexible and Efficient Manufacturing Facilities and Energy Systems

Subtopic 3.1: Medium-Voltage Power Conditioning Systems to Enable Grid-Dispatchable and Resilient Manufacturing Facilities

Subtopic 3.2: High Power to Heat Ratio, High Efficiency Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

Subtopic 3.3: Verification and Validation of CHP and District Energy

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001980 AMO 2019 FAQ Log at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

EERE Exchange is designed to enforce the deadlines specified in this FOA. The “Apply” and “Submit” buttons will automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. Should applicants experience problems with EERE Exchange, the following information may be helpful.

Applicants that experience issues with submission PRIOR to the FOA deadline: In the event that an applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the applicant should contact the EERE Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). The EERE Exchange helpdesk and/or the EERE Exchange system administrators will assist applicants in resolving issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in late submissions: In the event that an applicant experiences technical difficulties so severe that they are unable to submit their application by the deadline, the applicant should contact the EERE Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). The EERE Exchange helpdesk and/or the EERE Exchange system administrators will assist the applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing submission on behalf of and with the applicant’s concurrence). Please note, network traffic is at its heaviest during the final hours and minutes prior to submittal deadline. Applicants who experience this during the final hours or minutes and are unsuccessful in uploading documents will not be able to use this process.

Amendment 000001: Change the submission deadline for responses to this RFI from 08/07/2014 to 09/02/2014.

The Fuel Cell Technologies Office is a key component of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) portfolio. EERE seeks to provide clean, safe, secure, affordable, and reliable energy from diverse domestic resources, along with the benefits of increased energy security and reduced criteria pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

DOE seeks input from interested stakeholders on fuel cell technology validation, commercial acceleration, and potential deployment strategies for continuous fuel cell rechargers on board light-duty electric vehicles in fleets.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to FuelCellCOBRA@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00 pm (EDT) on September 2, 2014. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.

THIS RFI IS NOT A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA); THEREFORE, DOE IS NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.

Amendment 000005 to DE-FOA-0000991.  

The Vehicle Technologies Office supports a broad research, development, and deployment technology portfolio focused on reducing the cost and improving the performance of a mix of near- and long-term vehicle technologies including advanced batteries, power electronics and electric motors, lightweight and propulsion materials, advanced combustion engines, advanced fuels and lubricants, and other enabling technologies.  Specifically, activities are aimed at meeting the goals and objectives of the President's Electric Vehicle Everywhere Grand Challenge as well as improvements in other vehicle technologies such as powertrains, fuel, tires, and auxiliary systems and Vehicle Technologies Office . Investment in advanced vehicle technologies, like vehicle electrification, lightweighting, and combustion engines will yield benefits to conventional vehicles, as well as yielding the technologies necessary for alternative fuel vehicles.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement contains a total of 14 areas of interest in the general areas of advanced light-weighting; advanced battery development; power electronics; advanced heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems; and fuels and lubricants.

Amendment 000003 to DE-FOA-0000793.  To view the changes associated with amendment, please refer to the FOA document below.

The mission of the Vehicle Technology Program (VTP) is to develop more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for highway transportation vehicles (cars and trucks) that will meet or exceed performance expectations and environmental requirements, and enable America to use significantly less petroleum and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  The VTP focuses on highway vehicles, which account for 55 percent of total U.S. oil use ─ more than all U.S. domestic oil production.  Cost-competitive, more energy-efficient and fuel diverse vehicles will enable individuals and businesses to accomplish their daily tasks while reducing consumption of gasoline and diesel fuels. This will reduce U.S. demand for petroleum, lower carbon emissions, and decrease energy expenditures.

The VTP funds the advanced technology Research & Development (R&D) needed to achieve these goals. In the near to mid-term, transportation energy use can be reduced through improved vehicle energy efficiency from more efficient advanced combustion engines, Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (HEV), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), and Electric Vehicle (EV) powertrains, and through reduced vehicle weight and ancillary load requirements.

This FOA supports the President’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge with the goal of enabling U.S. companies to be the first in the world to produce electric vehicles that are as affordable for the average American family as today’s gas-powered vehicles within the next 10 years (by 2022).

Electric drive vehicles such as HEVs, PHEVs, and EVs have been identified as one important way to address the challenges of the nation’s dependence on imported oil and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  VTP’s specific goals in this area include enabling the use of advanced electric drive technologies in vehicles by developing low-cost batteries, advanced power electronics and electric motors, along with the development and validation of models and simulation tools to predict the performance of advanced conventional and electric-drive vehicle systems. 

Advanced materials are essential for reducing vehicle weight to boost the fuel economy of modern automobiles, while maintaining safety and performance. Replacing cast iron and traditional steel components with lightweight materials such as high-strength steel, magnesium, aluminum, and polymer composites allows vehicles to carry advanced emissions-control equipment, safety devices, and integrated electronic systems, without an associated weight penalty. Using lighter materials also reduces a vehicle’s fuel consumption, because it takes less energy to accelerate a lighter object. For example, a 10% reduction in vehicle weight can yield a 6%–8% fuel-economy improvement.

Increasing the electric operating range of electric-drive vehicles is one of the keys to achieving mass market adoption in the U.S.  High efficiency occupant heating and cooling systems have the potential to significantly increase vehicle electric driving range while providing superior occupant comfort. Because of the higher efficiency of electric-drive vehicles, auxiliary loads such as passenger cabin heating, cooling, and window defrosting/defogging have a more significant impact on efficiency than in vehicles using internal combustion engines as their primary source of power.  Improving heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems is an essential component in the development of widely-accepted electric-drive vehicles.

As reflected in the FOA document, this FOA contains a total of 12 areas of interest in the general areas of advanced lightweighting and propulsion materials; advanced battery development; power electronics; advanced heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems; and fuels and lubricants.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking applications that support the Vehicles Technology Program’s (VTP) general goal to develop technologies that enable cars and trucks to become highly efficient through affordable and improved drivetrain, lightweighting technologies, and cleaner domestic fuels. Specific goals of the VTP Hybrid and Electric Systems Team include enabling the use of advanced electric drive technologies in vehicle systems by developing low-cost batteries, advanced power electronics and electric motor components, and the development and validation of models and simulation tools to predict the performance, fuel economy, and emissions of advanced conventional and electric-drive vehicle systems.

The energy storage goals will be accomplished through the funding of research and development (R&D) ranging from focused, long-term research to more applied R&D.  Most of the longer term research will be done in universities and the national laboratories, but much of the more applied work will be done within the domestic battery industry.  In order to ensure that this R&D is relevant and responsive to the needs of the manufacturers of electric drive vehicles VTP believes that it is important to be able to work with and through a consortium that brings together a significant fraction of the major manufacturers of electric drive vehicles in the US.  One of the goals of this consortium would be to engage the battery manufacturers and other key stakeholders, such as universities, National Laboratories, and manufacturers and developers that supply critical materials and components to the battery industry. The research and development to be carried out under this Funding Opportunity Announcements will be an integral part of the DOE’s effort to develop advanced transportation technologies that will significantly reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, specifically by supporting R&D in the energy storage area for vehicles using electric drive components, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs).

The full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Applications must be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE website to be considered for award. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

Information on where to submit questions regarding the content of the announcement and where to submit questions regarding submission of applications is found in the full FOA posted on the EERE Exchange website.