CHICAGO, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. automaker General Motors Co. received a 2.6 million federal grant on Monday to develop technology that will let the automaker convert waste heat from car engines into electricity, and boost vehicle efficiency.

    The U.S. Department of Energy grant was one of 37 advanced energy research projects announced Monday. GM will work on the technology at its Technical Center in Warren, about 30 kilometers north of the auto city of Detroit .

    An U.S. government official said today's announcement reaffirms that the federal government will be an active partner in providing the seed money needed to launch these technologies forward.

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