The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) offers a variety of resources and opportunities for students, university researchers and professionals. It also provides information for consumers through FuelEconomy.gov and the Alternative Fuels Data Center. VTO's educational efforts focus on higher education and public outreach, but its parent Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy offers resources for K-12 energy education.

Student Competitions

VTO has hosted student competitions in advanced vehicle technologies for more than 25 years to educate the next generation of automotive engineers and accelerate the development of vehicle technologies.

Graduate Education

VTO’s graduate education program supports efforts at top universities to train a future workforce of automotive engineering professionals in developing and commercializing advanced automotive technologies. These universities’ multidisciplinary curriculums and unique laboratory facilities will prepare students to overcome technology barriers preventing the development and production of cost-effective, high-efficiency vehicles for the U.S. market. 

Workforce Development and Professional Education

Through its workforce development programs, VTO partners with nonprofit organizations that offer training on a variety of alternative vehicle technologies. This training will build a strong workforce that can develop, build, repair, and respond to these vehicles. The Clean Cities University Workforce Development Program connects coalitions across the country with students interested in changing the future of on-road transportation.

In addition to formal instruction, DOE and its partners host several events and conferences each year to gather automotive experts and foster information sharing and innovations such as the Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research Conference (DEER) and the Vehicle Technologies Office Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation meetings.

Other resources that may be useful to student researchers include VTO’s Annual Reports describing the results of our research, vehicle modeling software, transportation system analysis software tools, or the Fact of the Week featuring the latest information about energy and automotive markets.