[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 10, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S2841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mr. Kohl):
  S. 938. A bill to establish a research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application program to promote research of appropriate 
technologies for heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing the Heavy Duty 
Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act, along with 
my colleagues Senator Feinstein and Senator Kohl. This bill will 
accelerate research of plug-in hybrid technologies for heavy duty 
trucks.
  The Federal Government, through the 21st Century Truck Partnership, 
has for some years provided funding to conduct research and development 
for the modernization of this industry, in association with private 
industry partners. Despite the significant potential benefits of hybrid 
trucks, however, research in this area was eliminated recently to focus 
on passenger vehicles. This decision was shortsighted.
  Truck operators in Maine and around the country are again being hard 
hit by increases in the price of diesel fuel. Given that our nation 
relies upon the trucking industry to keep our economy running by 
providing timely delivery of food, industrial products, and raw 
materials, we must develop alternatives that make the industry less 
susceptible to dramatic changes in oil prices. Hybrid power 
technologies offer tremendous promise of reducing this critical 
industry's dependence on oil.
  Trucks consume large amounts of imported fuels. Successfully 
transitioning trucks to hybrid power technology will reduce our 
Nation's oil consumption and improve our energy security. The Heavy 
Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act 
directs the Department of Energy to expand its research in advanced 
energy storage technologies to include hybrid trucks as well as 
passenger vehicles. Current hybrid technology works well for cars that 
can be made with lightweight materials and travel short distances. 
Trucks need to be constructed with heavy materials commensurate with 
the heavy loads they carry and, if they are going to be plug-in 
hybrids, travel relatively long distances between charges. Thus 
advances in battery and other technologies are needed to make plug-in 
trucks commercially viable and will require more advanced technology 
than is required for passenger cars.
  Grant recipients will be required to complete two phases. In phase 
one, recipients must build one plug-in hybrid truck, collect data, and 
make performance comparisons with traditional trucks. Recipients who 
show promise in phase one will be invited to enter into phase two where 
they must produce 50 plug-in hybrid trucks and report on the 
technological and market obstacles to widespread production. The bill 
will also sponsor two smaller programs to deal with drive-train issues 
and the impact of the wide use of plug-in hybrid technology on the 
electrical grid. In total, the bill authorizes the expenditure of $16 
million for each of fiscal years 2012, 2013, and 2014.
  We need a comprehensive approach to modernize commercial 
transportation in the 21st century. The Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle 
Research, Development, and Demonstration Act is one vital piece of that 
approach.
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