Chrysler Shares Canadian EV Powertrain Grant

A partnership between McMaster University and Chrysler Group LLC has won an $8.9 million grant from the Canadian government to develop next-generation powertrains and components for electric vehicles.

The award is the largest by the country's five-year, $145 million Automotive Partnership Canada initiative, which involves five federal research and funding agencies.

The program announced nine other grants to university-industry teams to pursue a wide range of powertrain, materials and manufacturing projects:

• $5.3 million to Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal and Clariant to scale up a process to make low-cost lithium iron phosphate for EV batteries
• $3.4 million to Simon Fraser University and Ballard Power Systems to simulate fuel cell degradation
• $2.7 million to the University of Waterloo and General Motors to study lightweight extruded aluminum frame rails for vehicles
• $2.5 million to the University of Toronto and Ford Motor to develop micro- and long-fiber composites
• $2.1 million to the University of Waterloo and Dana Canada to study warm forming of aluminum alloy brazing sheet
• $2.0 million to McMaster University, Chrysler, Nemak of Canada, Orlick Industries and Haley Industries to develop technology to make structural cast components from wrought aluminum and high-performance magnesium alloys
• $1.8 million to McMaster University, Ford, Burlington Hydro, Electric Mobility Canada, the Canadian Automotive Assn. and Ontario Ministry of Transportation to analyze the social costs and benefits of electric mobility in Canada

• $976,000 to the University of Alberta and Vida Holdings to develop multi-chamber catalytic converters for diesel engines

• $212,000 to the University of Waterloo and Magna International's Formet and Promatek units to study hot stamping of auto parts