News

President Launches DOE’s ‘EV- Everywhere Challenge’

March 15th, 2012

On March 7, President Obama launched DOE’s EV-Everywhere Challenge, which promotes scientists, engineers, and businesses working together with the goal of creating electric vehicles that are more affordable than gasoline-powered vehicles within a ten year timeline.  This challenge is a part of the strategy to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

The DOE initiative will bring together the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program, its Office of Science, and its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to target dramatic technological and cost improvements in batteries, electric motors, power electronics, lightweight structures, and fast-charging technology.  The driving goal behind this initiative is to enable U.S. companies to be the first to produce a 5-passenger affordable EV with a payback time of fewer than 5 years.

Industry, universities, national laboratories and government partners will all be involved in the technical goal setting challenge, aiming to cut costs for batteries and electric drivetrain systems while reducing vehicle weights, and increasing fast-charge rates.  Over the next few months, DOE will also organize a series of EV-Everywhere Challenge workshops across the country.  There will be further announcements of additional “Grand Challenges,” each with a focus on technical innovations, and reductions in costs, allowing clean energy technologies to compete directly with energy technologies already in wide use.

DOE Press Release

President’s Remarks