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The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation will invest $26.5 million in Ohio State University to help it build and run a new test facility that will support the use of zero-emission and low-emission buses for public transportation.
The announcement was made Friday at the Center for Automotive Research after Ohio President Christina M. Johnson met with U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, university administrators, staff, students, government and industry partners. While touring the plant, Johnson and Brown had a conversation about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the future of transportation. Johnson stated, “I would want to applaud Senator Brown for his steadfast leadership in securing this critical investment.
“The transport sector is the biggest contributor to climate change and emits more greenhouse gases than any other part of the economy. That’s why it’s so important to make future bus fleets as clean and energy efficient as possible.This investment will allow the Ohio State Automotive Research Center to maximize clean, safe and efficient mobility. It recognizes and supports the innovative research and testing work we are conducting to further advance the mission of the FTA.”
Funding for investment was made possible by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which Brown helped draft and pass. “The bipartisan infrastructure law already provides Ohio communities with resources to improve transportation,” said Brown.
Through the fiscal year 2026, the new contract will support the test center’s construction and operation. The money will be used to open a special lab for research, development, and testing at his CAR facility on the western campus of the university.
Our state, with its long history of leading the nation and the world with its auto industry in Ohio, was a natural choice to lead this ground-breaking research, and this is a big step in helping Ohio get its fair share or more of its infrastructure investment. We have worked to ensure that our infrastructure laws allow communities to upgrade their buses.