In January 2002, USCAR and the U.S. Department of Energy teamed together to create the FreedomCAR Partnership.
 
In September 2003, the FreedomCAR effort expanded to become the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership, adding five energy companies*  BP America, Chevron Corporation, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil Corporation and Shell Hydrogen LLC and two electric utility companies, DTE Energy and Southern California Edison to the USCAR/DOE partnership. It is supported by numerous suppliers, research institutions and universities.
 
The CAR in FreedomCAR stands for Cooperative Automotive Research.
 
The Freedom in FreedomCAR frames the partnerships principles. These are:

• Freedom from dependence on imported oil;
• Freedom from pollutant emissions;
• Freedom for Americans to choose the kind of vehicle they want to drive, and to drive where they want, when they want; and
• Freedom to obtain fuel affordably and conveniently.

The FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnerships mission is to develop and advance high-risk research needed to create component and infrastructure technologies that will:

• enable a full range of affordable cars light trucks and the fueling infrastructure for them;
• reduce the dependence of the nations personal transportation system on imported oil;
• minimize harmful vehicle emissions, without sacrificing freedom of mobility and freedom of vehicle choice; and
• enable transition to a hydrogen transportation economy.

A major thrust of the Partnership is to examine and advance collaborative research and development of technologies to enable high volume production of affordable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the national hydrogen infrastructure to support them. The Partnership also examines and advances R&D for other advanced automotive technologies through the continuation of key enabling research on advanced internal combustion engines and emission control systems; lightweight materials; power electronics and motor development; high-power/energy battery development; and alternative fuels. Each of these advanced technologies also has the potential to dramatically reduce oil consumption and environmental impacts in conventional, hybrid and/or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

*In addition to the Tech Teams listed above, the energy partners and DOE also facilitate research through the Hydrogen Delivery Tech Team, Hydrogen Production Tech Team and the Fuel Pathway Integration Tech Team.

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