Delphi Automotive Systems and Battelle have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to receive a 10-year, $74.6 million cost-share contract to assist in the further development of solid oxide fuel cell technology.

Delphi, in cooperation with Battelle Columbus Operations, has submitted a joint proposal to the DOE for a 10-year project to develop cost-effective solid oxide fuel cell systems.
Delphi and Battelle received one of four cost-sharing contracts awarded by the DOE, each focused on differing developmental areas for fuel cells and totaling $271 million.
Delphi and Battelle's project is aimed at developing and testing a solid oxide design that can be mass produced at a low cost for automotive and truck auxiliary power units, distributed power generation and military markets. The project will be based on a 5-kilowatt system that is adapted to operate on a variety of fuels.
"We believe that the technology of SOFC is advancing to the point of permitting the development of products with the performance required for both automotive and distributed power applications," says Jeff Colwell, deputy general manager, Battelle Automotive Technology. "We are pleased that the DOE program will accelerate the development of commercially viable systems in the next decade."