U.S. DRIVE Partnership
The U.S. DRIVE Partnership is a collaborative effort among DOE and companies from the automotive, fuels, and electric utility industries, focused on advanced automotive and related infrastructure technology research and development.
The U.S. DRIVE partners are:
- Automobile industry: U.S. Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR, the cooperative research organization for Chrysler Group, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors Company); Tesla Motors
- Electric utility industry: DTE Energy Company, Southern California Edison Company, Electric Power Research Institute
- Fuels industry: BP America, Chevron Corporation, ConocoPhillips Company, ExxonMobil Corporation, Shell Oil Products US
- Federal government: U.S. Department of Energy.
The partners jointly conduct technology roadmapping, determine technical requirements, suggest research and development (R&D) priorities, and monitor the R&D activities necessary to achieve the goals of the Partnership. Technology roadmapping includes identification of existing barriers and challenges, technology-specific R&D goals (including cost targets) and milestones to progress toward the overall Partnership goals.
All of the partners independently undertake their own research activities on advanced light-duty vehicle and/or fuel technologies relevant to achievement of the vision or through separate legal arrangements. USCAR partners jointly conduct related collaborative precompetitive R&D. Companies will make independent decisions on commercialization depending upon establishment of viable business cases.
The Partnership focuses on the following technical areas:
- Advanced combustion and emission control
- Batteries/electrochemical energy storage
- Electric propulsion systems (e.g., power electronics, electric motors)
- Fuel cell power systems
- Lightweight materials
- Vehicle systems and analysis
- Vehicle-to-electricity grid interaction
- Fuel pathway integration
- On-board hydrogen storage
- Hydrogen production
- Hydrogen delivery
- Hydrogen codes and standards.
Learn more about the U.S. DRIVE Partnership