Currently, the world is nearly 80% dependent on fossil fuels for energy production with a major portion of that dependency related to liquid petroleum used for transportation. Importation of this petroleum has been a major strategic, environmental, and economic problem for the United States and ongoing efforts to reduce that dependency have spawned multiple research projects related to the electrification of personal transportation, production of alternate fuels, and expansion of renewable energy sources.   

Dramatic progress has been made with respect to developing technologies to electrify transportation, it is widely held that the electrification of the automobile is inevitable, and the importation of petroleum into the United States has been reduced by nearly 50% in the last five years. To this point, however, no single technology has promise to eliminate petroleum usage, and the effort to electrify automobiles is currently behind schedule and has failed to meet objectives.

This lecture will address the topic of advanced vehicle technologies with an assessment of the state of the research. It will explore promising new technology paths including the electrification of the automobile, the smart grid, advanced combustion, and newly available fuels such as natural gas and alcohols.  The talk will be a critical look at the new technologies and will address the shortcomings and strengths of advanced vehicle technology currently being researched.

About the speaker

Dr Don Hillebrand is the Director of Argonne’s Energy Systems Division. In this role Don is responsible for leading a team of engineers and scientists who are actively seeking to develop sustainable innovative technologies to improve the efficiency of resource and energy utilization; to minimize our dependence on imported energy; and to enhance our national security. Prior to joining Argonne in 2004, Hillebrand worked for Daimler Forschung and Technologie in Stuttgart, Germany. While there, he was responsible for Daimler’s research and technology liaison with the European Commission in Brussels, and interacting with European research organizations and business groups and leading integrated government industry research programs. Hillebrand worked for three years in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Technology Division where he served as Senior Policy Advisor. In 2011 Don was named by Automotive News as one of the 100 most influential people bringing about the electrification of the automobile. He is listed on Forbes 10 list of automotive thought leaders, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and in November of 2011 was elected the 2013 President of SAE international. He was named Michigan’s Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year 1993 and served as an AAAS Washington fellow. Don has two patents and is the author of over a hundred publications and invited seminar presentations. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a PhD in Mechanical Systems Engineering from Oakland University.

The seminar will be followed by drinks and nibbles and the opportunity to network

View the slides from the event