January 11, 2010
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today issued the following statement regarding the announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy that five Michigan companies will receive more than $56.6 million to develop and demonstrate new technologies to boost automotive fuel efficiency.
"As the world turns its gaze to the North American International Auto Show, Detroit's auto industry is showing the path to a fuel-efficient future. Detroit automakers are making great strides in producing new, more fuel-efficient engines, and in vehicle electrification. And today the Department of Energy announced it will award five of nine Recovery Act-funded grants to demonstrate new fuel-saving technologies to Michigan automakers and suppliers. These investments in Michigan companies will help revitalize the nation's auto industry and create new jobs for Michigan workers."
The grants to five Michigan companies will support efforts to increase the fuel economy for passenger vehicle engines and powertrain systems. The goal is to develop engine technologies that will improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles by 25-40 percent by 2015.
- Chrysler Group LLC - $14,458,572 - Auburn Hills, Michigan - Develop a flexible combustion system for their minivan platform based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases, and flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.
- Delphi Automotive Systems LLC - $7,480,572 - Troy, Michigan - Develop a novel low-temperature combustion system, coupled with technologies such as continuously variable valve control and engine downspeeding, to improve fuel economy by at least 25 percent.
- Ford Motor Company - $15,000,000 - Dearborn, Michigan - Achieve a 25 percent fuel economy improvement with a gasoline engine in a 2010 mid- to large-size sedan using technologies including engine downsizing, turbo-charging, direct injection, and a novel exhaust aftertreatment system.
- General Motors Co. - $7,705,862 - Pontiac, Michigan - Develop an engine that uses lean combustion and active heat management, as well as a novel emissions control system, to improve the fuel economy of a 2010 Malibu demonstration vehicle by 25 percent.
- Robert Bosch - $11,953,786 - Farmington Hills, Michigan - Demonstrate a high compression, turbo-charged engine based on homogenous charge compression ignition technology (a combustion technology that allows for lower emissions).
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