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U.S. Department of Transportation **Research and Innovative Technology**  **Administration** Volpe National Transportation Systems Center June 16, 2011 MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Ex parte m eeting with FROM: Coralie Cooper, Volpe TO: Docket No. NHTSAThis memorandum documents a meeting held on DOT regarding the proposed fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for medium vehicles and engines for model years 2014 Allison: Debbie Gordon, Kevin Rogers, Meyers EPA: Cle Jackson, Angela Cullen, Houshan DOT: Coralie Cooper, Maurice Hicks The following topics were discussed during the meeting: Vehicle testing: Allison staff stated consumption can not be accurat ely assessed in isolation, but only with the entire vehicle system. Thus, Allison stated, the agencies should not finalize recommended exclud ing transmissions as proposed in the NPRM. Drive cycle for c ertification testing : Allison proposed drive cycles, and especially for vocational vehicles, world operation. Commenters were generally in agre represented in the drive cycles and transient operation under number of improvements to the drive cycles, including:  weight the cycles on percent regulations since conflicting language exists in the NPRM. Likewise, PTO operation needs to be measured by time ; Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

eeting with Allison Transmission Volpe

- 2010 -0079 This memorandum documents a meeting held on May 19, 2011 between Allison Transmission DOT regarding the proposed fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for medium vehicles and engines for model years 2014 - 2018. The attendees included: Allison: Debbie Gordon, Kevin Rogers, Curt Vapor, George P elton , Mark Janson, Bob Leopold EPA: Cle Jackson, Angela Cullen, Houshan Zhang, Allen Duncan , B ill Courtis, Peter Smith, James Sanchez DOT: Coralie Cooper, Maurice Hicks The following topics were discussed during the meeting:

Allison staff stated the effect of the transmission on GHG emissions and fuel

ely assessed in isolation, but only with the entire vehicle system. Thus, agencies should not finalize a protocol for testing tra nsmissions at this time transmissions as proposed in the NPRM. : Allison staff noted that numerous comments were submitted on the proposed drive cycles, and especially for vocational vehicles, which said the cycles do not reflect real world operation. Commenters were generally in agre ement that steady - state cruise is over represented in the drive cycles and transient operation under - represented. Allison suggested a number of improvements to the drive cycles, including: percent time and not distance – time weigh ting needs to be made clear in regulations since conflicting language exists in the NPRM. Likewise, PTO operation needs to be 55 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142

Transmission , EPA, and DOT regarding the proposed fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for medium - a nd heavy - duty Leopold , Robert ill Courtis, Peter Smith, James Sanchez

the effect of the transmission on GHG emissions and fuel ely assessed in isolation, but only with the entire vehicle system. Thus, nsmissions at this time . Allison
staff noted that numerous comments were submitted on the

said the cycles do not reflect real state cruise is over represented. Allison suggested a

ting needs to be made clear in regulations since conflicting language exists in the NPRM. Likewise, PTO operation needs to be2  include grade in the drive cycles since these impact emissions and fuel consumption . If grade

cannot be added , then the percent time spent in transient mode should be increased ;  include vocational sub - group weightings (there is currently only one vocational vehicle test cycle weighting as the NPRM is written). Adding sub group weightings would more accurately r eflect the vehicles in the fleet today;  do not include straight line acceleration in the GEM drive cycles since straight line acceleration does not reflect normal acceleration curves. They added that straight line acceleration is biased toward automatic manual transmissions ;  Use a European -type approach for drive cycles, which include more transient operation. Hybrid Testing/Innovative Technology Program : in order to avoid gaming the certification process, Allison stated that a common vehicle configurati on which is actually built by OEM s needs to be defined for the “A” vehicle. They added the “ B ” vehicle needs to be the exact vehicle that goes into production. In addition , the vehicle system needs to be defined:

 Engine, engine calibration, and after-tre atment system ;  Automatic transmission system must replicate the actual, integrated vehicle system ;  Transmissions system components must be defined and required for testing ;  Hybrid system components, such as energy storage, electrical system/accessory loads need to be defined and included in testing. The agencies agreed to consider the above requests in the development of the final rule.