$2.4 Billion in grants awarded to battery and EV companies!

[reagle]

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/recovery/pdfs/battery_awardee_list.pdf
$2.4 Billion in Grants to Accelerate the Manufacturing and Deployment of the Next Generation of U.S. Batteries and Electric Vehicles Recovery Act will fund 48 new advanced battery and electric drive components manufacturing and electric drive vehicle deployment projects in over 20 states. A123 and Kokam are on the list

 

[mwkeefer]

Great!!!

Now how do we get some of that $$$ for our open source BMS, Speed Controllers, etc... ?

LOL, just kidding... i have actually received grants for things like this in the past... those Lesko books put to good use = )

-Mike

 

[fechter]

Great!!!

Now how do we get some of that $$$ for our open source BMS, Speed Controllers, etc... ?

-Mike

It may not be out of the question. I looked into those DOE grants. The only thing keeping me from qualifying is my day job. If my full time employment was related to EV's, I would most likely qualify.

I could probably develop a decent BMS much faster if I had some resources.

Someone who does work full time in the EV industry could possibly get a grant, then hire me as a consultant. :wink: Of course it would no longer be open source at that point, but that's business.
I do have some ideas for non-dissipative balancing that are simple enough to make cheaply.

 

[mwkeefer]

Fechter,

It could still be open source... there is no reason why a company can't exist on the thin margins of pre-made hardware platforms for open source software even with open hardware platforms.

The problem from my perspective is that none of us really want to quit our day jobs (I know I don't) but we do put in a fair amount of time on this and as such, DOE grants shouldn't be limited to just "professionals in the field".

Odd isn't it... not a way to encourage invention ... that's for sure, if my main job has to be in alignment with a particular grant employment qualification... keep the grant, there are other methods of funding for projects such as these.

Has anyone started a paypal account for any of these ES designs, to collect donations for resources such as you speak of... that might be a good place to begin. We could (with a little paper work, I would even do it) form a Delaware not for profit LLC or LLP and then register with the IRS for tax exempt status. If we can get it (I can, I have distributed neighborhood wifi networks funded this way... declared not for profit coops), this means tax deductible donations to our "Brain Trust" for research and development.

Again... as always, just an idea.

-Mike