U.S. Vehicle Technologies Office Selects 27 Small Businesses to Advance Innovative Clean Transportation R&D

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced awards for the Fiscal Year 2024 Phase I Release 2 of the Small Businesses Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. Across DOE, 229 projects in 39 states received $52 million to pursue clean energy research and development (R&D), and eventual demonstration projects. The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) selected 27 projects in 13 states to advance clean transportation R&D. Totaling $5.4 million, VTO’s funded projects will work to solve a wide range of problems including:

Improving the state-of-the-art for electric vehicle (EV) battery cells and components
Establishing a domestic manufacturing capability for commercialization of competitively priced power modules for high-voltage EV charging systems, and solid-state transformers
Developing innovative solutions for improving transportation efficiency (people and goods)
Developing, designing, and demonstrating multifunctional and intelligent composites for next-generation electric vehicles for lighweighting and decarbonization
Measuring in-situ biodiesel blends for off-road vehicles.

DOE SBIR and STTR awards strive to transform DOE-supported science and technology breakthroughs. Funded through the DOE’s SBIR and STTR programs, VTO’s selections are for Phase I research and development. Small businesses that demonstrated technical feasibility for innovations during their Phase I grants will compete for funding for prototype or processes development during Phase II. The median Phase I award is $200,000 for a period of six to twelve months.