National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL Programs

Vehicle Technologies Program Overview

America's highway vehicles use more petroleum products than our country produces domestically, and as transportation energy use continues to grow, the situation continues to worsen. To reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil, NREL is working to develop more efficient vehicles.

The president's goal is to reverse America's growing dependence on foreign oil by developing the technology for hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles by 2015. Before fuel cell vehicles become commercial, however, vehicle and fuel efficiency improvements are needed to facilitate the transition. During this interim period the Vehicle Technologies Program will work to develop advanced technologies that are more energy efficient in the near term and will provide a technology base for the eventual commercialization of fuel cell vehicles.

NREL's R&D supports the Vehicle Technologies Program by conducting research into the areas of vehicle systems analysis and testing, advanced propulsion and vehicle efficiency improvements, energy storage technologies, advanced power electronics, advanced combustion engines, and fuels technology. These efforts support the development of technologies that will promote transportation energy security through a fleet that consists of affordable, full-function vehicles that are domestically produced and free from petroleum dependence and harmful emissions without sacrificing mobility, safety, or vehicle choice.

The Vehicle Technologies Program works closely with NREL's Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems

Learn more about NREL's Vehicle Technologies Research.

NREL supports the U.S. DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Vehicle Technologies Program.

Contact Terry Penney with questions regarding NREL's Vehicle Technologies Program.