Aug. 19, 2019—The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday announced its 2019 fiscal year award funds and awarded both General Motors and Ford, according to a report by CNET.
The government awarded General Motors a total of $9.1 million. Some $2 million is related to research and development for solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries have higher energy density, are more reliable and less prone to overheating.
The DOE's announcement declared the solid-state battery research will take place in Warren, Mich. The other $7.1 million will be spent at GM's Global Propulsion Systems center in Pontiac, Mich., formerly called GM Powertrain.
The larger sum of money from the DOE will go toward research of a "low-mass and high-efficiency" engine for medium-duty trucks. GM's stable of medium-duty trucks currently includes the Chevrolet Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD and 6500HD.