Department of Energy grants for advanced vehicle research and development will support projects in Natick, Watertown, Waltham and Woburn
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Malden), dean of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation and a senior Democrat on both the House Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources Committees, today congratulated five companies located in the 7th Congressional district for receiving grants from the Department of Energy over the next 3-5 years for advanced vehicle research and development. Grant recipients focus on new and cutting-edge innovations throughout vehicles, including better fuels, lighter weight materials, cheaper and more efficient electric vehicle batteries, among many other technologies. These grants come on the heels of the historic fuel efficiency announcement from the Obama administration that raise the fuel economy standard to 54.5 mpg for 2025 model year cars and lights trucks.
 
“The fuel-efficient cars of the future are being imagined today right here in the 7th District of Massachusetts,” said Rep. Markey. “This funding recognizes that these companies are leaders in the clean energy revolution that can drive job creation and economic growth here in the 7th District and all around the nation. I congratulate these companies for securing this federal funding that will help scale up the next generation of plug-in hybrid vehicles and all-electric automobiles and capture the jobs that come with them.”
 
Below is a list of companies in the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District receiving Department of Energy funding:
 
Metal Oxygen Separation Technologies Inc (Natick, MA)
This project will develop a new process that enables low-cost, domestic manufacturing of magnesium. Increased availability of magnesium can enable vehicle weight reduction and improvement in fuel efficiency.
 
A123 Systems, Inc. (Watertown, MA)
This project will develop and demonstrate dry process electrode fabrication to reduce cost of EV and PHEV's innovations in lithium ion battery production.
 
Optodot Corporation (Watertown, MA)
This project will conduct research and development to reduce the cost of manufacturing lithium ion batteries by 40% by incorporating new inactive components and by utilizing a simpler and faster battery assembly process.
 
Azure Dynamics, Incorporated (Woburn, MA)
This project will develop an inverter with improved thermal performance with focus on materials and technology innovations to improve efficiency and reduce cost to enable vehicle electrification.
 
GMZ Energy, Inc (Waltham, MA)
This project will demonstrate a robust thermoelectric exhaust waste heat recovery system that provides >5% fuel efficiency improvement for a light-duty vehicle.
 
A full list of national recipients can be found HERE .
 
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