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As cities and transit agencies transition to electric buses, the Federal Transportation Administration is investing $26.5 million in a new transit bus testing and research center at Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research.
Ohio CAR Director Giorgio Rizzoni said:
Funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Act through fiscal year 2026, the new lab will focus on research in batteries, energy storage, hydrogen fuel cells, electric motors and power electronics. We can test components, equipment and complete vehicles.
Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Ohio President Christina Johnson made the announcement at the Center for Automotive Research on November 4.
David Cooke, senior associate director at CAR, explained that the company will look at battery safety, range, and how range changes with battery life.
Another important area of research concerns driver behavior. Cook said the lab will explore how driving technique affects battery range and how drivers can be trained to get the best range from the bus.
Founded in 1991, CAR works with automakers such as Ford, Honda, and Fiat Chrysler, and has over 200 faculty, graduate students, academics, staff, and undergraduates. CAR has regular meetings with vehicle manufacturers, transportation agencies, charging and fueling companies and other suppliers, Cook said. “We understand the needs pretty well. Our job now is to do research and bring something out there that will help the industry,” he said.
At the COP27 conference in Egypt this month, the United States signed an international agreement to target 100% zero-emission sales of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including buses, by 2040. It’s really a radically different technology. ”
He pledged that all research projects they pursued under the agreement would yield actionable information. It’s written as information to help you decide whether to buy,” Cook said.
