WASHINGTON—U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy voted in favor of legislation to boost innovative research programs in new vehicle technology today—important work already underway at The Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR). The bipartisan bill passed the House of Representatives and was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the three major U.S. automakers.
“Research done in Ohio will lead to manufacturing jobs in Ohio. I have worked with our partners at Ohio State’s CAR center to ensure they continue to lead in the auto research that will generate the next generation of vehicles and the batteries that power them,” Kilroy said. “I look forward to working with the Department of Energy to make sure these investments benefit our auto industry in central Ohio.”
The Advanced Vehicle Technology Act (HR 3246) strengthens and reauthorizes the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program, which invests in a diverse range of near-term and long-range vehicle technologies that will improve fuel efficiency, support domestic research and manufacturing, and lead to greater consumer choice of vehicle technologies and fuels.
Kilroy hosted the director of the CAR, Dr. Giorgio Rizzoni for President Barack Obama’s first joint address to the Congress in February. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act made a $2 billion commitment to research for advanced fuel cell technology.
Next week, the students and staff at the CAR will travel to Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to attempt to break the land speed record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle called The Buckeye Bullet 2.
-30-
