Professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCR’s Bourns College of Engineering and Director of UCR’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology Matthew Barth was awarded $2.8 million by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy to develop new and efficient methods for plug-in hybrid electric buses. The award also comes with an additional $460,000 from private partners, totaling a combined $3.2 million.
This competitive award is part of the DOE’s initiative to reduce the energy consumption of public transportation vehicles by introducing new technologies like automation and broader connectivity.
Barth’s research will focus on developing a new type of powertrain for natural gas, plug-in buses. This new system will revolutionize public transit by improving energy efficiency by inputting adaptive cruise control that will slow down and speed up based on the cars in front of the vehicle. His research will also focus on implementing predictive approach and departure which basically relies on sensors to give the vehicle a sort of preview of upcoming road conditions. Antonia Nituleasa, a first-year cell molecular and developmental biology major, thought the project was “a good idea since it’s trying to help the environment.” She went on to say that, “Since there’s been little effort to improve transportation, I think his team will develop a good operating system that’s eco-friendly.”
Included on Barth’s team are researchers from UCR, Riverside Transit Agency, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the largest Department of Energy laboratory in the country and US Hybrid, a manufacturer of components for hybrid vehicles.
Matthew Barth earned his bachelor’s of science in electrical engineering/computer science from the University of Colorado in 1984. He has an M.S. and doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
