In this Edition Get to Know…VTO Director Austin Brown Clean Cities Corner In the News Upcoming Events VTO Funding Opportunities and Selections Other Vehicle Funding Opportunities and Selections New VTO Publications and Resources
February 20, 2024
minute read time
Quarter 1, 2024
In this Edition
- Get to Know…VTO Director Austin Brown
- Clean Cities Corner
- In the News
- Upcoming Events
- VTO Funding Opportunities and Selections
- Other Vehicle Funding Opportunities and Selections
- New VTO Publications and Resources
- Beep for Success: VTO’s SuperTrucks are Hitting the Road
- The Joint Office Plug
Get to Know…VTO Director Austin Brown
How did you get into your area of work?
I’m a scientist by training. As I was finishing graduate school, I was also learning more and more about the importance of our energy systems and the increasing risks and impacts of climate change. I moved to Washington, D.C., to do a fellowship at the Department of Energy and was totally hooked. Transportation was and is an amazing topic area for a public servant – solving problems makes lives appreciably better for many people, and there is never a shortage of things to learn.
How long have you been at VTO/DOE?
I joined VTO and DOE in August of 2023.
What is your favorite thing about your work at VTO?
The people are just the best. VTO is a team of brilliant colleagues that also bring a spirit of fun and camaraderie to work every day. I love that I get to be their biggest fan and cheerleader.
What can you share about your involvement with DOE/VTO-related issues over the years?
Ever since that first fellowship, I have worked with VTO experts as a colleague on a wide variety of issues and technologies. Much of the work has been focused on how we can target our applied research and development resources to bring the biggest benefits to the country. For example, in my previous role I helped coordinate our overall transportation decarbonization strategy at the White House and relied on a strong partnership with VTO experts in technology and analysis.
What are your hobbies?
Right now, most of my free time goes to being an amateur chef for my family and a dad to my four-year-old son. He loves transportation (especially trains and planes), so we have a lot of fun with that together. As he gets older, I hope to get back to previous hobbies like reading, travel, and scuba diving.
Clean Cities Corner
Highlights from VTO’s Clean Cities Coalition network, a DOE partnership to advance clean transportation nationwide. For more, go to: cleancities.energy.gov
Clean Cities Celebrates 30 Years of Advancing Sustainable Transportation Solutions
In September, Clean Cities celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Stakeholder Summit and National Workshop near Washington, D.C. Local events across the country highlighted decades of work building bipartisan support and forging deep connections with the transportation industry. More than 75 Clean Cities coalitions, representing 84% of the U.S. population, have tailored projects to unique needs through partnerships with more than 20,000 stakeholders.
In the News
Save Serious Money When Buying a New or Used EV
Looking for a new or used EV? In 2024, buyers can slash the sticker price by up to $7,500 for a new EV and up to $4,000 for a used clean vehicle at participating dealerships. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, eligible shoppers won’t need to wait until tax season to benefit from the Clean Vehicle Credit! Visit https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxcenter.shtml to find qualified vehicles and learn more.
VTO’s Tien Duong Receives International Recognition
At the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference ABAA14 held in Ho Chi Minh City last October 2023, VTO’s Tien Duong was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his thirty years of supporting and managing battery research at VTO.
“I am honored to receive the award,” Duong said. “Also, I am happy to see so many friends I haven’t seen over the last few years.”
Mr. Duong currently manages the Advanced Battery Materials Research (BMR) Program and the Battery500 Consortium at VTO. He has been an integral part of the Energy Storage R&D effort within VTO since 1994 and served in various positions including as Manager of the Energy Storage R&D Team (1999–2003) and Team Lead for the Hybrid and Electric Systems Team (2004–2008).
Event Recap: 2024 SAE Government/Industry Meeting
The 2024 SAE Government/Industry Meeting was held from January 16-18 in Washington, D.C. This meeting provided a neutral forum for the auto industry and government agencies to exchange ideas and come to an understanding on issues impacting the vehicle industry, including energy efficiency regulations, vehicle electrification, emissions control, and safety.
VTO was deeply involved in the planning and development of this year’s conference, especially in organizing the following technical sessions:
- Battery Advancements (led by VTO’s Brian Cunningham)
- Heavy-Duty Policy (led by VTO’s Siddiq Khan)
- Heavy- and Medium-Duty Vehicle Technologies (led by Siddiq Khan)
- Light-Duty Vehicles Emissions Policy and Regulations (led by VTO’s Patrick Walsh)
- Fleet’s Perspective on Electrification (led by VTO’s Mike Laughlin)
- Predicting the Future of Liquid Fuels (led by VTO’s Kevin Stork)
Upcoming Events
EVs@Scale Semiannual Stakeholder Meeting (February 28-29, 2024)
The fourth Electric Vehicles at Scale Lab Consortium (EVs@Scale) semiannual stakeholder meeting will be held February 28-29, 2024, in person at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. The meeting convenes thought leaders across government, academia, and industry to identify research and development (R&D) opportunities to accelerate at-scale electric vehicle grid integration and enabling technologies. For more information, check this page.
2024 VTO Annual Merit Review (June 3-6, 2024)
The 2024 VTO Annual Merit Review (AMR) will be held in person on June 3-6, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. Historical AMR presentations are available on the VTO AMR Presentations Database. Keep an eye out for AMR updates, including registration information, on the VTO website.
Become a VTO AMR Reviewer: VTO is always looking for subject matter experts to participate in its AMR and to review funded projects. For more information about becoming an AMR reviewer, see the AMR website.
VTO Funding Opportunities and Selections
Stay up to date on VTO’s funding opportunities at energy.gov/eere/vehicles/funding-opportunities.
- Open Funding Opportunity: DOE Announces $15 Million in Funding for Clean Transportation Deployment and Demonstration (February 12, 2024)
- Closed Funding Opportunity: DOE Announces $37 Million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Lower Costs for EV Battery Recycling (December 18, 2023)
- Selections:
- Notice of Intent: DOE Announces Notices of Intent for Advanced Vehicle Technologies Funding (December 21, 2023)
Interested in Becoming a VTO Project Reviewer? VTO is always looking for subject matter experts to review research funding applications. If you would like to become a VTO reviewer, apply directly on the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange Registration web page.
Other Vehicle Funding Opportunities and Selections
Stay up to date on DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funding opportunities at /eere/funding/eere-funding-opportunities, and on Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supplies Chains at /mesc/funding.
- Selections:
- Closed Funding Opportunity: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $3.5 Billion to Strengthen Domestic Battery Manufacturing (November 15, 2023)
New VTO Publications and Resources
Stay current on VTO’s publications and reports at energy.gov/eere/vehicles/reports-and-publications.
The U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization highlighted that while medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses compose only 5% of total vehicles on the road, they contribute 21% of current transportation emissions. VTO’s SuperTruck program works with heavy vehicle manufacturers to pioneer medium- and heavy-duty truck and freight system concepts that achieve higher efficiency and zero emissions.
Click here to watch the MotorWeek video on SuperTrucks.
In December 2023, DOE’s SuperTruck II program was successfully completed. Launched in 2016, it had a budget of $160 million, equally shared by government and industry. Five teams, Cummins-Peterbilt, Daimler, Navistar, Paccar, and Volvo, participated in this program with the goal of doubling freight efficiency of 18-wheel tractor-trailer trucks compared to their 2010 baseline. SuperTruck II followed SuperTruck I, the first ever public-private partnership aimed at developing fuel-efficient technologies for long-haul trucks, and improving heavy-duty truck freight efficiency by 50%.
All SuperTruck II teams achieved or exceeded their freight efficiency targets. Some teams also demonstrated a 55% brake thermal efficiency goal, an engine efficiency breakthrough in heavy-duty vehicles. All teams developed high efficiency engines, advanced aerodynamics, and lightweighting, as well as 48V mild-hybrid systems that facilitate a transition to electrification, improve fuel efficiency and reduce cold start NOx emissions. These technologies together have propelled heavy-duty fuel efficiency to a new height, demonstrating more than 16 miles per gallon of diesel fuel. MotorWeek recently released a video highlighting four of the SuperTrucks.
In 2023 the five SuperTruck 3 teams (Daimler, Ford, GM, Paccar, and Volvo) funded by VTO and the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office kicked off research and demonstration of battery electric and fuel-cell electric technologies that achieve even higher efficiency and zero emissions.
Stay tuned for additional features about how SuperTruck is helping to ensure a future of zero-emission freight movement.
The Joint Office Plug
Highlights from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. For more, go to driveelectric.gov/
Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates Opening of Nation's First NEVI-Funded EV Charging Stations in Ohio and New York
America’s first electric vehicle (EV) fast charging stations, funded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, are now open in Ohio and New York. The new stations will close gaps, add capacity, and boost the reliability of our nation’s fast charging network, which advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of building a national network of 500,000 public EV charging ports by 2030. Learn more.