THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of Science and Technology Policy
For Immediate Release
Contact: 456-6108March 15, 1999
GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP TO HONOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCHERS
WHO: The Medal winners are members of a government-industry research team representing Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL; Arthur D. Little/Epyx Corporation, Cambridge, MA; General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI; Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM; and Plug Power LLC, Albany, NY.
WHAT: The 1998 Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) Medals will be presented to 15 researchers for pioneering work in fuel cell technology. The President' s Science Advisor, Dr. Neal Lane, will make the presentations.
WHERE: Old Executive Office Building, 17th and Pennsylvania, Washington, DC
WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, March 17, 1999
WHY: The research team was the first to develop and demonstrate a system that would permit use of gasoline and other available fuels, such as methanol, ethanol, or natural gas, in fuel cell-powered vehicles. The researchers developed technology for on-board reformulation of gasoline for use in fuel cells. The technology would permit the nation' s gasoline refining and distribution infrastructure to be used to supply fuel for fuel cell-powered vehicles. Fuel cells have the potential to become a very clean, highly fuel-efficient power source for automobiles.
NOTE TO MEDIA: Anyone wishing to attend the awards ceremony should call 202/456-6108 and leave their full name, affiliation, Social Security number and date of birth. Press will enter via the Pennsylvania Avenue NW Gate and proceed to the White House Press Lobby for an escort to the event at 10:00 a.m.
For more information about PNGV or the awards, contact:
Max Gates, Department of Commerce (202) 482-6030
Chris Terry, USCAR (248) 223-9013
Jayne Brady, Department of Energy (202) 586-5820PNGV is a joint research program involving the Federal government, the U.S.-based automotive industry, automotive suppliers, academic researchers, and small businesses. The goal of the program is to develop cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles, including prototypes of vehicles achieving up to triple the fuel economy of current vehicles.