DOE announces $30M in electric vehicle battery funding

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $30 million in funding to support the creation of a circular electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. The funding comes from DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

ARPA-E says the Catalyzing Innovative Research for Circular Use of Long-lived Advanced Rechargeables (CIRCULAR) program will help advance technologies critical to maximizing lifetime EV performance and reducing production and operating costs.

“ARPA-E is laser-focused on accelerating cutting-edge technologies we need to help build President Biden’s vision of a clean transportation future,” said ARPA-E Director Evelyn Wang. “With CIRCULAR, ARPA-E is supporting innovative solutions that will help create a strong circular EV supply chain, which is critical to reducing emissions and establishing new U.S.-based manufacturing and supply chain loops.”

ARPA-E says the overarching goal of its CIRCULAR program is to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s "whole-of-government" approach to a circular economy and enhance the domestic EV battery supply chain through the development of solutions through four technology categories:

• Category A seeks innovations in battery cell materials, designs, regeneration methods and corresponding manufacturing techniques to prolong battery service life.
• Category B focuses on battery pack designs, materials and reversible manufacturing methods as well as fast and safe disassembly techniques to recover manufacturing value of cells and pack components.
• Category C prioritizes innovations in cell-level sensing, data analytics and battery intelligence systems to ensure safety, extend the service life and manage end-of-life of batteries.
• Category D aims to develop technoeconomic, lifecycle and circularity analysis tools capable of quantifying the impact of the program’s advancements to both justify the adoption of these technologies and inform new business models and opportunities.