Press Releases
Dingell Applauds Grants to Support Advance Fuel Efficient Vehicle Technologies Following VP Biden’s Visit to Michigan
Washington, DC,
September 17, 2015
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today thanked Vice President Joe Biden for visiting Michigan to highlight Detroit’s economic recovery and announce key investments in cutting-edge vehicle technology projects in southeast Michigan. “It was a great honor to welcome Vice President Biden to Michigan today to celebrate our economic progress and the grit and determination of the American workers who made it happen,” said Dingell. “The Vice President has long been a champion of the U.S. auto industry, and the grants he announced today will help Michigan stay at the forefront of vehicle innovation. He was spot on in his remarks – ‘Detroit is back, the auto industry is back, and America is back.’ These investments will keep us moving forward.” The grants were awarded through the Department of Energy to support advanced vehicle technology development that increases energy efficiency, reduces America’s reliance on foreign oil, and cuts harmful emissions. As part of the announcement, Ford Motor Company in Dearborn was awarded a $3.5 million grant to develop commercially available software that is capable of predicting battery safety performance. Other investments in Michigan include: General Motors, LLC, Warren, MI – $2,955,360 to develop commercially available software that improves the computational processing time of battery pack performance modeling by a factor of 100. Robert Bosch LLC, Farmington Hills, MI – $1,756,225 to develop and demonstrate a high-efficiency spark-ignited natural gas engine and develop a hybrid three-way catalyst (TWC)-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhaust aftertreatment system to maximize engine efficiency at a significantly lower cost than competing, diesel-based, dual-fuel approaches. Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI – $750,000 to develop improved computer models for the fuel spray evaporation process in internal combustion engines, including how fuel sprays interact with engine cylinder walls. Better understanding of this process will contribute to higher efficiency engines in the future. |