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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51983-51985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21242]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Availability of Department of Energy EV Everywhere Grand 
Challenge Initial Framing Document and Request for Public Comment

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The EV Everywhere Grand Challenge is a U.S. Department of 
Energy ``Clean Energy Grand Challenge'' with the goal of enabling U.S. 
companies to be the first in the world to produce plug-in electric 
vehicles (PEVs) that are as affordable and convenient for the average 
American family as today's gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 10 
years. President Obama announced the EV Everywhere Challenge on March 
7, 2012.
    The EV Everywhere Initial Framing Document (framing document) has 
been developed as a principal means of facilitating stakeholder 
engagement in

[[Page 51984]]

the planning process. The framing document describes three potential 
combinations of PEVs and charging infrastructures, among other possible 
scenarios, and identifies preliminary technical targets for each of 
these vehicle and infrastructure scenarios.
    The framing document is intended to serve as the common framework 
for stakeholder engagement through public information exchanges and 
public comment.

DATES: Public comments on this proposed framing document must be 
received on or before October 29, 2012 to ensure consideration.

ADDRESSES: Electronic mail comments may be submitted to: ev-everywhere@ee.doe.gov. Please include ``EV Everywhere'' in the subject 
line. Please put the full body of your comments in the text of the 
electronic message and as an attachment. Please include your name, 
title, organization, postal address, telephone number, and email 
address in the text of the message.
    Written comments should be sent to Mr. David Howell, Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-2G), U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121 or by 
fax at 202-586-1600, or by email at ev-everywhere@ee.doe.gov.
    Respondents are encouraged to submit comments electronically to 
ensure timely receipt. The DOE EV Everywhere framing document can be 
accessed at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning this 
notice, contact Mr. David Howell, Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy (EE-2G), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, or ev-everywhere@ee.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice requests public comment on the 
following questions related to the DOE EV Everywhere Grand Challenge 
and the framing document. Commenters are welcome to respond to all 
questions below, or only respond to select questions.
    A. EV Everywhere Mission and Scope: Is the mission statement, ``to 
enable U.S. companies to be the first in the world to produce plug-in 
electric vehicles (PEVs) that are as affordable and convenient for the 
average American family as today's gasoline-powered vehicles within the 
next 10 years'' appropriate for the technology development and 
deployment programs of the Department? Is the goal of developing ``PEVs 
with a payback time of less than 5 years and sufficient range and fast-
charging ability to allow the average American family to meet their 
daily transportation needs'' appropriate? Is a payback time of less 
than 5 years the right measure of affordability or is there a more 
appropriate metric? Should the scope be limited to ``PEVs in which the 
majority of miles driven are electric'' or should the goal be ``to 
maximize the national total of electric vehicle miles driven''?
    B. Plug-in Electric Vehicle Scenarios. DOE has identified three 
potential vehicle/infrastructure scenarios that might achieve the EV 
Everywhere goals. These scenarios are:
    1. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a 40-mile all-electric 
range (PHEV-40) with limited fast-charge infrastructure;
    2. An all-electric vehicle with a 100-mile range (AEV-100) with 
significant intra-city and inter-city fast charge infrastructure; and
    3. An all-electric vehicle with a 300-mile range (AEV-300) with 
significant inter-city fast charge infrastructure.
    Have we correctly identified and structured these three scenarios?
    Are there other scenarios that are more appropriate?
    C. U.S. Plug-in Electric Vehicle Leadership. How can DOE activities 
best support leadership in plug-in electric vehicle innovation? In PEV 
manufacturing? In PEV deployment? How do we balance international 
competitiveness against international cooperation?
    D. Program Definition and Management. What principles should the 
Department follow for allocating resources among technologies of 
disparate maturity and potential time to impact? How many technology 
options should the Department pursue, and how should the value of that 
diversity be weighed against timeliness, scale, and cost- 
effectiveness? How can DOE be more effective at each stage of the 
innovation chain? Are technology targets (e.g., cost or deployment 
targets) useful markers to orient and structure DOE activities?
    E. Public/Private Partnership. What are the optimal roles for the 
private sector, government laboratories, and academia in accelerating 
PEV technology innovation? How can DOE best coordinate activities 
between and among these types of organizations (including the wide 
variety of institutions within each class)? How should we gauge the 
effectiveness of this coordination? How can the basic research and 
applied research and development coupling be optimized? Are there 
examples in other sectors or other countries that can serve as models? 
Are ``technology user facilities'' analogous to the Department's 
scientific user facilities possible, or even desirable? If so, what 
would be the most effective model for their operation? How can the 
Department best gather technology market information? How can 
information on private sector innovation be captured without 
compromising competitive advantage?
    G. Non-Technical Barriers. A number of non-technical barriers--
including Federal, State, and local regulations, market risks, and non-
technical risks--impact the rate of deployment of PEV technologies. 
What role, if any, should the Department have in addressing these 
barriers?
    H. Technologies and Resources. The initial framing document 
published in association with this announcement describes each of the 
three scenarios mentioned in part B in greater detail, and highlights 
several technologies that could contribute to success in each strategy. 
We welcome updated technology, cost, and forecast data.
    The Department also welcomes comment on the format and tone of the 
framing document as well as identification of any factual errors or 
omissions of relevant facts and data. The Department also welcomes any 
additional comments related to the framing document and the EV 
Everywhere Grand Challenge, generally.

Public Participation Policy

    It is the policy of the Department to ensure that public 
participation is an integral and effective part of DOE activities, and 
that decisions are made with the benefit of significant public input 
and perspectives.
    The Department recognizes the many benefits to be derived from 
public participation for both stakeholders and DOE. Public 
participation provides a means for DOE to gather a diverse collection 
of opinions, perspectives, and values from the broadest spectrum of the 
public, enabling the Department to make more informed decisions. Public 
participation benefits stakeholders by creating an opportunity to 
provide input on decisions that affect their communities and our 
Nation.
    In keeping with the President's commitment to transparency in 
Government, DOE will post online at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/ all submissions received from external parties in 
response to this request for comment. In addition, DOE will discuss 
this framing document and the submissions received

[[Page 51985]]

from external parties with advisory committees, public information 
exchanges, and expert discussion groups.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 16, 2012.
Patrick B. Davis,
Program Manager, Vehicle Technologies Program, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2012-21242 Filed 8-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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