On July 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that $50 million of funding is now available for innovative research of technologies for trucks, off-road vehicles, and gaseous fuels research. Funded through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), “it is important our trucking industry has access to advanced technologies, such as electrification and fuel cells, as a way to move goods efficiently and economically,” stated Mark W. Menezes, Under Secretary of Energy. Given EERE’s successful track record in research and development (R&D) investments, this new funding opportunity reflects DOE’s continued push for gaseous fuels research, including natural gas, biopower, and hydrogen, as well as heavy-duty freight electrification and energy-efficient off-road vehicles. According to DOE, energy use by medium- and heavy-duty trucks consumes 25 percent of U.S. annual vehicle fuel use. Off-road vehicles account for 8 percent of the total energy consumed in the U.S. transportation sector. Emphasizing the importance of economic growth through the movement of goods, this funding opportunity is how DOE begins to prepare for a future where miles traveled by the freight sector will increase by 54 percent by 2050.

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