On November 12, 2024, the Cooperative Research Group Advanced Fluids for Electrified Vehicles 2 (AFEV2) filed notifications with the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission under the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993. The filings included information about the members of the venture, such as Afton Chemical Corporation, ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, and Toyota Motor Company, among others. The aim of AFEV2 is to investigate how electric vehicle fluids are affected during use in order to improve and optimize electric vehicle powertrains. This action seeks to limit the legal recoveries of antitrust plaintiffs to actual damages in certain conditions.
Simple Explanation
The government is letting some big companies, like car makers and oil companies, work together to figure out how to make the special liquids in electric cars work better, but they can only be sued for money if they break certain competition rules.