WASHINGTON DC- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced funding of up to $45 million to support domestic development of advanced batteries for electric vehicles. Through the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the Department is launching the Electric Vehicles for Low-Carbon American Living (EVs4ALL) program to develop more affordable batteries, practical, efficient and resilient. Equitable electrification of America’s transportation sector is a priority for President Biden, who has included provisions in his bipartisan Infrastructure Act that support his goal of having electric vehicles account for half of all transportation sales. vehicles in the United States in 2030.

“Advanced batteries are the heart of the electric vehicle industry and investments to make them charge faster and last longer will be key to accelerating the deployment of electric cars and trucks,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The benefits of an electrified transportation sector in America will be felt for generations to come – from directly addressing climate change to growing domestic manufacturing jobs and strengthening our global energy independence.”

The ARPA-E EVs4ALL funding opportunity aims to address the following market concerns and dramatically increase household electric vehicle adoption by removing key consumer detractors:

• FASTER CHARGE: While installing home charging infrastructure is the preferred option for many EV drivers, many Americans live in residences that lack garages or carports to house a charging station. charging. Advanced batteries capable of safe and fast charging are needed to appeal to those Americans who cannot charge their cars at home for long periods of time. This will reduce the time drivers spend at charging stations to just five minutes, while ensuring increased cost savings with every charge.
• INCREASE IN EFFICIENCY: Americans living in different parts of the county experience vastly different weather conditions – from scorching heat to extreme cold. Current electric vehicle batteries lose performance when temperatures drop below freezing. Developing more efficient batteries that can withstand much colder temperatures is key to ensuring batteries can power vehicles in the coldest parts of the country and to driving wider adoption among drivers who live in those areas.
• IMPROVE RESILIENCE: Addressing range anxiety among potential electric vehicle owners is critical to consumer buy-in and overall comfort levels in using their vehicle for long-distance travel. Battery resiliency is necessary for range conservation to allow electric vehicles to travel longer distances between charges and have better overall life. This is especially important for the two-thirds of Americans who prefer the more economical option of buying used vehicles over leasing or buying new cars.

In addition to unveiling the EVs4ALL program, yesterday the DOE announced $3.1 billion in funding to boost production of advanced batteries, which are critical to supporting the creation of new, upgraded, and expanded commercial facilities and demonstrations. which manufacture battery materials, cell components and batteries, as well as battery recycling. The DOE also announced a separate $60 million to support second-life applications of batteries once used to power electric vehicles, as well as new material recycling processes in the battery supply chain. The two funding opportunities, authorized by President Biden’s bipartisan Infrastructure Act, will strengthen our national battery supply chain, spur clean energy job creation, and support the President’s goal of have electric vehicles representing half of all vehicle sales in America by 2030.

Last year, in response to President Biden’s executive order on US supply chains, the DOE released a 100-day review of the large-capacity battery supply chain that recommended establishing production capabilities and treatment centers for critical materials to support a fully national end-to-end system. battery supply chain. In total, the bipartisan Infrastructure Act commits nearly $7 billion to strengthening the U.S. battery supply chain, which includes producing and recycling critical minerals without re-mining or extracting and supply of materials for domestic manufacturing.

Visit the ARPA-E website for more information on EVs4ALL, including key guidelines and dates for applicants.