Backgrounder

February 8, 2008

DEVELOPING THE WORLD’S NEXT GENERATION “GREEN CAR”

Today’s announcement represents part of the second round of funding under the Ontario Research Fund’s Research Excellence program. In this round, the government is investing $19,505,964 to support four world-class projects at the University of Waterloo. Funding will be matched by approximately 40 industry and other partners participating in the projects.

Green Auto Power Train

Developing the vehicles of the future

Total project cost: $26,056,680
Provincial funding: $8,685,560
Lead researcher: Dr. Xianguo Li

University of Waterloo researchers are creating cutting-edge technologies that will ultimately improve the environment, reduce dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and give Ontario’s $100 billion-a-year auto industry a competitive edge in hybrid and clean diesel technologies.

With today’s cars and trucks being dependent on fossil fuels, there is a need to develop more environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient and cost-effective vehicles. Researchers at the University of Waterloo are taking the most promising forms of green vehicle technology currently available to the next level. Researchers will look at improving hybrid vehicles (ones that use two or more fuel sources), including the use of clean diesel engines. 

The result will be greater environmental and health protection from vehicle-released air contaminants and made-in-Ontario new technologies that can be marketed around the world — boosting the province’s auto sector and economy.

Key private sector partners:
Chrysler Canada, Ford Motor Company, Siemens Canada Ltd.

Key Facts:

• The gasoline-electric hybrid engine is about 20 per cent more fuel-efficient than a standard gasoline engine and has significantly lower emissions.

• The hybrid engine is available in the marketplace, however, there is not currently a significant amount of hybrid engine research and development taking place in Ontario.
• The hybrid engine has technical challenges associated with cost and reliability beyond about 150,000 km.
• The proposed research aims at significantly improving hybrid engine technology in order to allow Ontario to re-gain its leadership position in this advanced power train technology.
• The research project will also develop diesel and diesel-electric engine technology for automobiles — especially using biofuels, such as biodiesel.
• Diesel engines have almost twice the fuel efficiency and 30 per cent less carbon emissions than their gasoline counterparts.
• The project will establish Ontario as the leading jurisdiction in Canada and a world leader in the R&D, manufacturing, deployment and marketing of green auto power train technology.
• The project will offer competitive advantage for the Ontario Auto Sector, ensuring sustainability for the sector through leading-edge research, training high quality personal, commercialization and Intellectual property.

Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence Program

This second round of funding under the Research Excellence program will invest  $114,709,614 to support 19 world-class projects at nine Ontario universities, institutes and hospitals. Funding will be matched by 107 major industry and other partners participating in the projects.

For more information about the Ontario Research Fund, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.

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