The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a subsidiary of the U.S. Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), and a collaborative organization of FCA U.S. LLC, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors, have awarded a $2.4 million contract to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass., to lead a program to develop low-cost/fast-charge batteries for electric vehicle (EV) applications.
“The technology development contract award with WPI is part of USABC’s broad battery technology research and development program,” says Steve Zimmer, executive director of USCAR.
“Programs like this are critical to advancing the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable broader scale vehicle electrification,” he adds.
The contract award, which includes a 50% cost share, funds a 36-month project that began earlier this year. The program will develop low-cost and fast-charge batteries for EV applications, building on the technology of solvent-free electrode manufacturing.
USABC is a subsidiary of the USCAR. Enabled by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), USABC’s mission is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support commercialization of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles. In support of its mission, USABC has developed mid- and long-term goals to guide its projects and measure its progress.
Photo: Yan Wang, WPI researcher
