The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded over $175 million for advance vehicle research and development to 15 states in response to President Obama’s call for more fuel efficient cars to reduce oil consumption by 12 billion barrels by 2050.

In a related grant, the DOE also awarded $11 million to the Frankfurt-based company Nanosys for the commercialization of high-capacity electric vehicle batteries for the US market.

The announcements (August 11) follow earlier White House agreements with builders of freight-hauling trucks and passenger cars in order to double average fuel efficiency by 2025.

 “The Department of Energy is investing in new advanced technologies that will significantly improve vehicle fuel economy, save consumers money, and create skilled jobs for Americans,” said DOE Secretary Steven Chu. “Investments for the next generation of autos will strengthen our economy and lead to a more fuel-efficient, clean energy future.”

The DOE announcement (August 11) follows White House agreements with builders of freight-hauling trucks and passenger cars to double average fuel efficiency by 2025.

The money is be paid out over three to five years to support projects totaling more than $300 million with a focus on eight approaches to improving vehicle efficiency, including advanced fuels and lubricants, lighter weight vehicles, advanced electronic and thermoelectric technologies and electric drive batteries.

Nanosys participation in the DOE’s larger mission is to accelerate the deployment of high capacity electric vehicle batteries and has set a target for bringing the cost of lithium-ion batters down to $250/kWh and increasing capacity to 300 miles per charge for the next generation of electric vehicles.