Of almost $3 million in funding for a combined seven projects announced by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is leading one project and a collaborator on two other projects.
The total $2.9 million in grants is being awarded through TNECD’s Transportation Network Growth Opportunity, or TNGO, initiative.
The UTC-led project, “Advancing High Powered Dynamic Wireless Charging for Median and Heavy-Duty Vehicles,” is receiving $490,000 to create a 25-foot demonstration project to showcase the capability of a system to efficiently charge medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in scenarios typical of truck drayage—or cargo movement.
This groundbreaking project will showcase Electrovia Technologies’ cutting-edge wireless charging system designed to efficiently charge vehicles in dynamic situations—at speeds ranging from 20-30 mph—in stop-and-go conditions typical of drayage truck queues, as well as in stationary settings. The initiative will be housed at UTC’s newly established Advanced Mobility Research Facility, serving as an anchor project and hub for the latest advancements in mobility research and development.
The project will mark the debut of Electrovia’s dedicated Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) system, enabling seamless wireless charging and communication between vehicles and charging infrastructure. This will be the first use of a V2X system specifically for the critical communication “handshake” required for safe and reliable wireless charging. This system paves the way for developing a standard in wireless charging set to revolutionize the EV landscape.
UTC’s collaboration on other projects involves Vanderbilt University and the University of Memphis.
“Mobile Lidar Solution to Enhance Traffic Safety and Efficiency Across Tennessee” is the Vanderbilt project on which UTC is collaborating. Awarded $350,000, it will use lidar sensor technology for state-of-the-art sensing and data analysis to address significant traffic-related fatalities and injuries without privacy concerns that can arise when using camera-based approaches.
In addition to the University of Memphis and UTC, the cities of Memphis and Chattanooga are involved in the project, “Building Designing Multimodal Transit System for Blue Oval City and Volkswagen.” It will create a user interface allowing real-time data on how best to access public transportation to get to work. The $500,000 project seeks to develop an application that also will integrate public transit options with parking solutions for commuters from more rural areas.
TNGO received an initial $5 million in funding through the Tennessee General Assembly during the 2023 legislative session. The initiative, according to TNECD, serves to diversify the state’s economy by leveraging public and private sector assets to attract mobility research and development investment to Tennessee.
Dr. Mina Sartipi, executive director of the UTC Research Institute and founding director of the UTC Center for Urban Informatics and Progress, praised state leaders and legislators for providing funding to enable important innovation.
“These awards from TNGO are a generational investment in mobility, sustainability, and innovation, and this program will be critical to sharpening Tennessee’s competitive edge in the years ahead,” Sartipi said. “We at UTC are honored to be involved with several fascinating projects in communities across our entire state, and can’t wait to get to work. Our thanks to Governor Lee, ECD Commissioner McWhorter, and the members of the Hamilton County delegation to the General Assembly who all recognize the essential value of this work.”
An additional $2.5 million in funding was approved by the legislature in spring 2024 and is part of the state’s efforts to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination in the Southeast for automotive and mobility R&D investment.
The remaining four of the total seven funded projects are summarized below:
University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma — $100,000
Safety Limit Prediction of Degraded Lithium-Ion Batteries for the Automotive Industry –
The outcomes of the project will provide useful insights into battery and thermal management systems and mitigate electric vehicle battery safety accidents.
Williamson County EMA, Franklin – $450,000
School Bus Route Artificial Intelligence (AI) Optimization and Safety Initiative –
The project includes the development of an AI application to update parents, students and district staff on real-time bus route management solutions to increase efficiencies and manage options based on driver and vehicle availability.
Middle West TN Clean Fuels Coalition, Nashville – $500,000
Demonstrating Real World Artificial Intelligence (AI) through Traffic Signal Control –
The project aims to demonstrate a cutting-edge AI-based signal control technology, DASIC, which learns and predicts traffic dynamics and optimally controls the signals using reinforcement learning to improve mobility efficiency up to 20% in selected areas.
University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Knoxville – $500,000
Building Platform for Development of Automotive Cybersecurity Testing –
The project includes the development of an advanced research infrastructure for rigorous testing in controlled environments to enhance the security and reliability of automotive systems in response to increasing cyber threats.
TNECD launched the TNGO discovery phase earlier this year to gain a broader understanding of how the mobility shift in automotive and transportation is impacting companies, communities, economic development and education, officials said.
