SAN FRANCISCO – ECOtality Inc. announced that its subsidiary, ECOtality North America, has been awarded a $26.4 million contract by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct the DOE’s Advanced Vehicle Testing and Evaluation (AVTE) project. 

The award is for a five-year term to conduct vehicle evaluations with the Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA).

“ECOtality has been a vehicle testing partner for the Department of Energy for more than a decade. We pride ourselves on our important work in this field,” said Don Karner, president of ECOtality North America. “The work conducted under the Advanced Vehicle Testing and Evaluation project will play a crucial role in evaluating future vehicle technologies.”

The primary goal of the Advanced Vehicle Testing and Evaluation project is to provide key data for technology modeling, and research and development programs, by benchmarking and validating the performance of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles.

Technologies evaluated include: plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; extended range electric vehicles; hybrid electric, pure electric and hydraulic vehicles; advanced electric drive and engine technologies; advanced energy storage technologies and chemistries; advanced climate control, power electronic, and other ancillary systems technologies; and internal combustion engines burning advanced fuels.