FreedomCAR and Fuel
The FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership examines the pre-competitive, high-risk research needed to develop the component and infrastructure technologies necessary to enable a full range of affordable cars and light trucks, and the fueling infrastructure for them that will reduce the dependence of the nation's personal transportation system on imported oil and minimize harmful vehicle emissions, without sacrificing freedom of mobility and freedom of vehicle choice.
The "Freedom" principle is framed by:
- Freedom from dependence on imported oil;
- Freedom from pollutant emissions;
- Freedom for Americans to choose the kind of vehicle they want to drive, and to drive where they want, when they want; and
- Freedom to obtain fuel affordably and conveniently.
Partnership Activities
The partners have established challenging high-level technical goals and timetables for research and development (R&D) to accelerate advancements in technologies that enable reduced oil consumption and increased energy efficiency in passenger vehicles.
The Partnership addresses:
- Integrated systems analysis
- Fuel cell power systems
- Hydrogen storage systems
- Technologies for the production and distribution of hydrogen necessary for the viability of hydrogen vehicles
- The technical basis for codes and standards to support hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure and the interface between them
- Electric propulsion systems applicable to both fuel cell and internal combustion/electric hybrid vehicles (e.g., power electronics, electric motors)
- Lightweight materials
- Electrical energy storage systems (e.g., batteries, power capacitors)
- Advanced combustion and emission control systems for internal combustion engines (employing a variety of fuels such as diesel, hydrogen, and renewable blends, and investigating innovative concepts such as homogeneous charge compression ignition systems, variable compression ratio, in-cylinder exhaust gas recirculation, etc.)
The FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership Plan [(PDF 145 KB) Download Adobe Reader] provides an overview of the partnership's activities, including roles and responsibilities, technical scope and objectives, and interim milestones and timing.