[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2843 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2843

 To provide for a program of research, development, demonstration, and 
  commercial application in vehicle technologies at the Department of 
                                Energy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 7, 2009

  Ms. Stabenow (for herself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Nelson of 
   Florida) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for a program of research, development, demonstration, and 
  commercial application in vehicle technologies at the Department of 
                                Energy.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Advanced Vehicle 
Technology Act of 2009''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
               TITLE I--VEHICLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Sec. 101. Program.
Sec. 102. Sensing and communications technologies.
Sec. 103. Manufacturing.
Sec. 104. User testing facilities.
Sec. 105. Reports.
Sec. 106. Innovative Automotive Demonstration Program.
    TITLE II--MEDIUM AND HEAVY DUTY COMMERCIAL AND TRANSIT VEHICLES

Sec. 201. Program.
Sec. 202. Class 8 truck and trailer systems demonstration.
Sec. 203. Technology testing and metrics.
Sec. 204. Nonroad systems pilot program.
               TITLE III--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

Sec. 301. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) according to the Energy Information Administration, the 
        transportation sector accounts for approximately 28 percent of 
        the United States primary energy demand and greenhouse gas 
        emissions, and 24 percent of global oil demand;
            (2) the United States transportation sector is over 95 
        percent dependent on petroleum, and over 60 percent of 
        petroleum demand is met by imported supplies;
            (3) United States heavy truck fuel consumption will 
        increase 23 percent by 2030, while overall transportation 
        energy use will decline by 1 percent;
            (4) the domestic automotive and commercial vehicle 
        manufacturing sectors have increasingly limited resources for 
        research, development, and engineering of advanced 
        technologies;
            (5) domestic vehicle, engine, and component manufacturers 
        are playing a more important role in vehicle technology 
        development, and should be better integrated into Federal 
        research efforts;
            (6) priorities for vehicle technologies research of the 
        Department of Energy have shifted drastically in recent years 
        among diesel hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and plug-in 
        electric hybrids, with little continuity among the vehicle 
        technologies;
            (7) the integration of vehicle, communication, and 
        infrastructure technologies has great potential for efficiency 
        gains through better management of the total transportation 
        system; and
            (8) the Federal Government should balance the role of the 
        Federal Government in researching longer-term exploratory 
        concepts and developing nearer-term transformational 
        technologies for domestic-made vehicles.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to develop and promote the deployment of technologies 
        and practices that--
                    (A) improve the fuel efficiency and emissions of 
                all vehicles produced in the United States; and
                    (B) reduce vehicle reliance on petroleum-based 
                fuels;
            (2) to support domestic research, development, 
        demonstration, deployment, engineering, and commercial 
        application and domestic manufacturing of advanced vehicles, 
        engines, and components;
            (3) to enable vehicles to move larger volumes of goods and 
        more passengers with less energy and emissions;
            (4) to develop cost-effective advanced technologies for 
        wide-scale utilization throughout the passenger, commercial, 
        government, and transit vehicle sectors;
            (5) to allow for greater consumer choice of domestic-made 
        vehicle technologies and fuels;
            (6) to shorten technology development and integration 
        cycles in the domestic vehicle industry;
            (7) to ensure a proper balance and diversity of Federal 
        investment in domestic-made vehicle technologies;
            (8) to promote the integration of intelligent vehicle 
        technologies with infrastructure-based information and 
        communications systems and the electrical grid; and
            (9) to strengthen partnerships between Federal and State 
        governmental agencies and the private and academic sectors.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Energy.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.

               TITLE I--VEHICLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

SEC. 101. PROGRAM.

    (a) Activities.--The Secretary shall conduct a program of basic and 
applied research, development, engineering, demonstration, and 
commercial application activities on materials, technologies, and 
processes with the potential to substantially reduce or eliminate 
petroleum use by, and emissions from, passenger and commercial vehicles 
of the United States, including activities in the areas of--
            (1) hybridization or full electrification of vehicle 
        systems;
            (2) batteries and other energy storage devices;
            (3) power electronics;
            (4) vehicle, component, and subsystem manufacturing 
        technologies and processes;
            (5) engine efficiency and combustion optimization;
            (6) waste heat recovery;
            (7) transmission and drivetrains;
            (8) hydrogen vehicle technologies, including fuel cells and 
        internal combustion engines, and hydrogen infrastructure;
            (9) aerodynamics, rolling resistance, and accessory power 
        loads of vehicles and associated equipment;
            (10) vehicle weight reduction, including lightweight 
        materials;
            (11) friction and wear reduction;
            (12) engine and component durability;
            (13) innovative propulsion systems;
            (14) advanced boosting systems;
            (15) hydraulic hybrid technologies;
            (16) engine compatibility with and optimization for a 
        variety of transportation fuels, including liquid and gaseous 
        fuels;
            (17) predictive engineering, modeling, and simulation of 
        vehicle and transportation systems;
            (18) refueling and charging infrastructure for alternative 
        fueled and electric or plug-in electric hybrid vehicles, 
        including the unique challenges facing rural areas;
            (19) gaseous fuels storage system integration and 
        optimization;
            (20) sensing, communications, and actuation technologies 
        for vehicle, electrical grid, and infrastructure;
            (21) efficient use and recycling of rare earth materials 
        and reduction of precious metals and other high-cost materials 
        in vehicles;
            (22) aftertreatment technologies;
            (23) thermal management of battery systems;
            (24) retrofitting advanced vehicle technologies to existing 
        vehicles;
            (25) development of common standards, specifications, and 
        architectures for both transportation and stationary battery 
        applications;
            (26) development of innovative materials, including 
        constructive, connective, and reinforcing vehicle components; 
        and
            (27) other research areas, as determined by the Secretary.
    (b) Transformational Technology.--The Secretary, in coordination 
with the Secretary of Transportation (if appropriate), shall ensure 
that the Department continues to support domestic research, 
development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application 
activities and maintains competency in mid- to long-term 
transformational vehicle technologies with the potential to achieve 
deep reductions in petroleum use and emissions, including activities in 
the areas of--
            (1) hydrogen vehicle technologies, including fuel cells, 
        internal combustion engines, hydrogen storage, infrastructure, 
        and activities in hydrogen technology validation and safety 
        codes and standards;
            (2) multiple battery chemistries and novel energy storage 
        devices, including nonchemical batteries and electromechanical 
        storage technologies such as hydraulics, flywheels, bipolar 
        design, and compressed air storage;
            (3) communication and connectivity among vehicles, 
        infrastructure, and the electrical grid;
            (4) lightweight vehicles and materials; and
            (5) other innovative technologies research and development, 
        as determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Industry Participation.--
            (1) In general.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
        activities under this Act shall be carried out in partnership 
        or collaboration with--
                    (A) automotive manufacturers;
                    (B) heavy commercial and transit vehicle 
                manufacturers;
                    (C) qualified plug-in electric vehicle 
                manufacturers;
                    (D) vehicle and engine equipment and component 
                manufacturers;
                    (E) manufacturing equipment manufacturers;
                    (F) advanced vehicle service providers;
                    (G) fuel producers and energy suppliers;
                    (H) electric utilities;
                    (I) institutions of higher education;
                    (J) National Laboratories; and
                    (K) independent research laboratories.
            (2) Administration.--In carrying out this Act, the 
        Secretary shall--
                    (A) determine whether a wide range of companies 
                that manufacture or assemble vehicles or components in 
                the United States are represented in ongoing public 
                private partnership activities, including firms that 
                have not traditionally participated in federally 
                sponsored research and development activities, and if 
                practicable, partner with such firms that conduct a 
                substantial portion of relevant research and 
                development activities in the United States;
                    (B) leverage the capabilities and resources of, and 
                formalize partnerships with, industry-led stakeholder 
                organizations, nonprofit organizations, industry 
                consortia, and trade associations with expertise in the 
                research and development of, and education and outreach 
                activities in, advanced automotive and commercial 
                vehicle technologies;
                    (C) develop more efficient processes for 
                transferring research findings and technologies to 
                industry;
                    (D) give consideration to conversion of existing or 
                former vehicle technology development or manufacturing 
                facilities for the purposes of this Act, and support 
                public-private partnerships dedicated to overcoming 
                barriers in commercial application of transformational 
                vehicle technologies that use such industry-led 
                facilities;
                    (E) promote efforts to ensure that technologies 
                developed under this Act are produced in the United 
                States; and
                    (F) establish public-private partnerships dedicated 
                to overcoming barriers to the commercial application of 
                transformational vehicle technologies, using existing 
                industry-led domestic technology development facilities 
                of entities with demonstrated expertise in successfully 
                designing and engineering precommercial generations of 
                such transformational technology.
    (d) Interagency and Intraagency Coordination.--To the maximum 
extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordinate research, 
development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application 
activities among--
            (1) relevant programs within the Department, including--
                    (A) the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
                Energy;
                    (B) the Office of Science;
                    (C) the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
                Reliability;
                    (D) the Office of Fossil Energy;
                    (E) the Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy; 
                and
                    (F) other offices, as determined by the Secretary; 
                and
            (2) relevant technology research and development programs 
        within the Department of Transportation and other Federal 
        agencies, as determined by the Secretary.
    (e) Coordination and Nonduplication.--In coordinating activities, 
the Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that 
activities do not duplicate activities of other programs within the 
Department or other relevant research agencies.
    (f) Federal Demonstration of Technologies.--The Secretary shall 
make information available to procurement programs of Federal agencies 
regarding the potential to demonstrate technologies resulting from 
activities funded through programs under this Act.
    (g) Intergovernmental Coordination.--The Secretary shall seek 
opportunities to leverage resources and support initiatives of State 
and local governments in developing and promoting advanced vehicle 
technologies, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

SEC. 102. SENSING AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary 
of Transportation and relevant research programs of other Federal 
agencies, shall conduct research, development, engineering, and 
demonstration activities on connectivity of domestic vehicle and 
transportation systems, including on sensing, computation, 
communication, actuation, and information technologies that allow for 
reduced fuel use, optimized traffic flow, improved freight logistics, 
and vehicle electrification, including technologies for--
            (1) onboard vehicle, engine, and component sensing and 
        actuation;
            (2) vehicle-to-vehicle sensing and communication;
            (3) vehicle-to-infrastructure sensing and communication;
            (4) vehicle integration with the electrical grid; and
            (5) driver-to-vehicle integration and communication.
    (b) Coordination.--The activities carried out under this section 
should supplement, and not duplicate, activities under the intelligent 
transportation system research program of the Department of 
Transportation.

SEC. 103. MANUFACTURING.

    The Secretary shall carry out a research, development, engineering, 
demonstration, and commercial application program of domestic advanced 
vehicle manufacturing technologies and practices, including innovative 
processes to--
            (1) increase the production rate and decrease the cost of 
        advanced battery manufacturing;
            (2) vary the capability of individual manufacturing 
        facilities to accommodate different battery chemistries and 
        configurations;
            (3) reduce waste streams, emissions, and energy-intensity 
        of vehicle, engine, advanced battery, and component 
        manufacturing processes;
            (4) recycle and remanufacture used batteries and other 
        vehicle components for reuse in vehicles or stationary 
        applications;
            (5) produce cost-effective lightweight materials, such as 
        advanced metal alloys, polymeric composites, and carbon fiber;
            (6) produce lightweight high pressure storage systems for 
        gaseous fuels;
            (7) design and manufacture purpose-built hydrogen and fuel 
        cell vehicles and components;
            (8) improve the calendar life and cycle life of advanced 
        batteries; and
            (9) produce permanent magnets for advanced vehicles.

SEC. 104. USER TESTING FACILITIES.

    Activities under this Act may include domestic construction, 
expansion, or modification of new and existing vehicle, engine, and 
component research and testing facilities for--
            (1) testing or simulating interoperability of a variety of 
        vehicle components and systems;
            (2) subjecting whole or partial vehicle platforms to fully 
        representative duty cycles and operating conditions;
            (3) developing and demonstrating a range of chemistries and 
        configurations for advanced vehicle battery manufacturing; and
            (4) developing and demonstrating test cycles for new and 
        alternative fuels and other advanced vehicle technologies.

SEC. 105. REPORTS.

    (a) Technologies.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act and annually thereafter through calendar year 
2015, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report regarding the 
technologies developed as a result of the activities authorized by this 
title, with a particular emphasis on--
            (1) whether the technologies were successfully adopted for 
        commercial applications; and
            (2) if so, whether those technologies are manufactured in 
        the United States.
    (b) Activities.--At the end of each fiscal year the Secretary shall 
submit to the relevant Congressional committees of jurisdiction an 
annual report on activities undertaken during the fiscal year under 
this title, including--
            (1) active industry participants;
            (2) efforts to recruit new participants;
            (3) progress of the program in meeting goals and timelines; 
        and
            (4) a strategic plan for funding of activities across 
        agencies.

SEC. 106. INNOVATIVE AUTOMOTIVE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish an Innovative 
Automotive Demonstration Program, within the Vehicle Technologies 
Program, to encourage the introduction of new domestic-made advanced 
technology vehicles into the marketplace that are designed in their 
entirety to achieve very high energy efficiency but still provide the 
capabilities required by consumers in the United States.
    (b) Administration.--The Program established under this section 
shall encourage--
            (1) the introduction of new light duty vehicles into the 
        marketplace that are capable of achieving energy efficiencies 
        significantly greater than required under applicable and 
        pending corporate average fuel economy standards; and
            (2) the use of materials and manufacturing techniques that 
        minimize environmental impacts.
    (c) Awards.--Awards under this section shall be made on a 
competitive basis for demonstration of domestic-made vehicles that--
            (1) are primarily for use on public streets, roads, and 
        highways and are not manufactured primarily for off-road use;
            (2) meet all Federal safety requirements;
            (3) achieve at least 70 miles per gallon or the equivalent 
        on drive cycle of the Environmental Protection Agency;
            (4) provide vehicle performance that is judged acceptable 
        to consumers in the United States;
            (5) be affordable to consumers in the United States;
            (6) use materials and manufacturing processes that minimize 
        environmental impacts;
            (7) meet all Federal and State emission requirements; and
            (8) provide new high technology engineering and production 
        employment opportunities.

    TITLE II--MEDIUM AND HEAVY DUTY COMMERCIAL AND TRANSIT VEHICLES

SEC. 201. PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in partnership with relevant 
research and development programs in other Federal agencies and a range 
of appropriate industry stakeholders, shall carry out a program of 
cooperative research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application activities on advanced technologies for medium- to heavy-
duty commercial, recreational, and transit vehicles, including 
activities in the areas of--
            (1) engine efficiency and combustion research;
            (2) onboard storage technologies for compressed and 
        liquefied natural gas;
            (3) development and integration of engine technologies 
        designed for natural gas operation of a variety of vehicle 
        platforms;
            (4) waste heat recovery and conversion;
            (5) improved aerodynamics and tire rolling resistance;
            (6) energy and space-efficient emissions control systems;
            (7) heavy hybrid, hybrid hydraulic, plug-in hybrid, and 
        electric platforms, and energy storage technologies;
            (8) drivetrain optimization;
            (9) friction and wear reduction;
            (10) engine idle and parasitic energy loss reduction;
            (11) electrification of accessory loads;
            (12) onboard sensing and communications technologies;
            (13) advanced lightweight materials and vehicle designs;
            (14) increasing load capacity per vehicle;
            (15) thermal management of battery systems;
            (16) recharging infrastructure;
            (17) complete vehicle modeling and simulation;
            (18) hydrogen vehicle technologies, including fuel cells 
        and internal combustion engines, and hydrogen infrastructure;
            (19) retrofitting advanced technologies onto existing truck 
        fleets; and
            (20) integration of those and other advanced systems onto a 
        single truck and trailer platform.
    (b) Director.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall appoint a full-time 
        Director to coordinate research, development, demonstration, 
        and commercial application activities in medium- to heavy-duty 
        commercial, recreational, and transit vehicle technologies.
            (2) Duties.--The Director shall--
                    (A) improve coordination and develop consensus 
                between government agency and industry partners, and 
                propose new processes for program management and 
                priority setting to better align activities and budgets 
                among partners;
                    (B) regularly conduct workshops, site visits, 
                demonstrations, conferences, investor forums, and other 
                events in which information and research findings are 
                shared among program participants and interested 
                stakeholders;
                    (C) develop a budget for activities of the 
                Department regarding the interagency program 
                established under this title, and provide consultation 
                and guidance on vehicle technology funding priorities 
                across agencies;
                    (D) determine a process for reviewing program 
                technical goals, targets, and timetables and, if 
                applicable, aided by life-cycle impact and cost 
                analysis, propose revisions or elimination based on 
                program progress, available funding, and rate of 
                technology adoption;
                    (E) evaluate ongoing activities of the program and 
                recommend project modifications, including the 
                termination of projects, if applicable;
                    (F) recruit new industry participants to the 
                interagency program, including truck, trailer, and 
                component manufacturers who have not traditionally 
                participated in federally sponsored research and 
                technology development activities; and
                    (G) other responsibilities, as determined by the 
                Secretary, in consultation with interagency and 
                industry partners.
    (c) Reports.--At the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress an annual report that describes activities 
undertaken during the fiscal year under this title, including--
            (1) active industry participants;
            (2) efforts to recruit new participants;
            (3) progress of the program in meeting goals and timelines; 
        and
            (4) a strategic plan for funding of activities across 
        agencies.

SEC. 202. CLASS 8 TRUCK AND TRAILER SYSTEMS DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a competitive grant 
program to demonstrate the integration of multiple advanced 
technologies on Class 8 truck and trailer platforms with a goal of 
improving overall freight efficiency, as measured in tons and volume of 
freight hauled or other work performance-based metrics, by 50 percent, 
through a combination of technologies described in section 201(a).
    (b) Applicant Teams.--Applicant teams may be comprised of truck and 
trailer manufacturers, engine and component manufacturers, fleet 
customers, information and communications technology manufacturers and 
providers, researchers of institutions of higher education, and other 
applicants, as appropriate, for the development and demonstration of 
integrated Class 8 truck and trailer systems.

SEC. 203. TECHNOLOGY TESTING AND METRICS.

    The Secretary, in coordination with the partners of the interagency 
research program described in section 201(a)--
            (1) shall develop standard testing procedures and 
        technologies for evaluating the performance of advanced heavy 
        vehicle technologies under a range of representative duty 
        cycles and operating conditions, including heavy hybrid 
        propulsion systems;
            (2) shall evaluate heavy vehicle performance using work 
        performance-based metrics other than metrics based on miles per 
        gallon, including--
                    (A) metrics based on units of volume and weight 
                transported for freight applications; and
                    (B) appropriate metrics based on performance on 
                nonroad systems; and
            (3) may construct heavy duty truck and bus testing 
        facilities.

SEC. 204. NONROAD SYSTEMS PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a pilot program of 
research, development, demonstration, and commercial applications of 
technologies to improve total machine or system efficiency for nonroad 
mobile equipment, including agricultural and construction equipment.
    (b) Information Transfer.--In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary shall seek opportunities to transfer relevant research 
findings and technologies between the nonroad and on-highway equipment 
and vehicle sectors.

               TITLE III--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums 
as are necessary to carry out this Act.
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