II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 938 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 10, 2011 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and Mr. KOHL) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Heavy Duty Hybrid 

5 Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 

6 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ADVANCED HEAVY DUTY HYBRID VEHICLE TECH2 NOLOGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEM3 ONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIAL APPLICA4 TION PROGRAM. 

5 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

6 (1) ADVANCED HEAVY DUTY HYBRID VEHI7 CLE.—The term ‘‘advanced heavy duty hybrid vehi8 cle’’ means a vehicle with a gross weight between 

9 14,000 pounds and 33,000 pounds that is fueled, in 

10 part, by a rechargeable energy storage system. 

11 (2) GREENHOUSE GAS.—The term ‘‘greenhouse 

12 gas’’ means— 

13 (A) carbon dioxide; 

14 (B) methane; 

15 (C) nitrous oxide; 

16 (D) hydrofluorocarbons; 

17 (E) perfluorocarbons; or 

18 (F) sulfur hexafluoride. 

19 (3) PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLE.—The term 

20 ‘‘plug-in hybrid’’ means a vehicle fueled, in part, by 

21 electrical power that can be recharged by connecting 

22 the vehicle to an electric power source. 

23 (4) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 

24 the competitive research, development, demonstra25 tion, and commercial application program estab26 lished under this section. 


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1 (5) RETROFIT.—The term ‘‘retrofit’’ means the 

2 process of creating an advanced heavy duty hybrid 

3 vehicle by converting an existing, fuel-powered vehi4 cle. 

5 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

6 the Secretary of Energy. 

7 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

8 a competitive research, development, demonstration, and 

9 commercial application program under which the Sec10 retary shall provide grants to applicants to carry out 

11 projects to advance research and development, and to 

12 demonstrate technologies, for advanced heavy duty hybrid 

13 vehicles. 

14 (c) APPLICATIONS.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall issue re16 quirements for applying for grants under the pro17 gram. 

18 (2) SELECTION CRITERIA.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall es20 tablish selection criteria for awarding grants 

21 under the program. 

22 (B) FACTORS.—In evaluating applications, 

23 the Secretary shall— 


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1 (i) consider the ability of applicants to 

2 successfully complete both phases described 

3 in subsection (d); and 

4 (ii) give priority to applicants who are 

5 best able to— 

6 (I) fill existing research gaps and 

7 achieve the greatest advances beyond 

8 the state of current technology; and 

9 (II) achieve the greatest reduc10 tion in fuel consumption and emis11 sions. 

12 (3) PARTNERS.—An applicant for a grant 

13 under this section may carry out a project in part14 nership with other entities. 

15 (4) SCHEDULE.— 

16 (A) APPLICATION REQUEST.— 

17 (i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

18 days after the date of the enactment of 

19 this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the 

20 Federal Register, and elsewhere as appro21 priate, a request for applications to under22 take projects under the program. 

23 (ii) APPLICATION DEADLINE.—The 

24 applications shall be due not later than 90 

25 days after the date of the publication. 


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1 (B) APPLICATION SELECTION.—Not later 

2 than 90 days after the date on which applica3 tions for grants under the program are due, the 

4 Secretary shall select, through a competitive 

5 process, all applicants to be awarded a grant 

6 under the program. 

7 (5) NUMBER OF GRANTS.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall de9 termine the number of grants to be awarded 

10 under the program based on the technical mer11 its of the applications received. 

12 (B) MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM NUMBER.— 

13 The number of grants awarded under the pro14 gram shall be not less than 3 and not more 

15 than 7 grants. 

16 (C) PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLE TECH17 NOLOGY.—At least half of the grants awarded 

18 under this section shall be for plug-in hybrid 

19 technology. 

20 (6) AWARD AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall 

21 award not more than $3,000,000 to a recipient per 

22 year for each of the 3 years of the project. 

23 (d) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS; 2 PHASES.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of the receipt 

25 of a grant under this section, each grant recipient 


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1 shall be required to complete 2 phases in accordance 

2 with this subsection. 

3 (2) PHASE 1.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—In phase 1, the recipi5 ent shall conduct research and demonstrate ad6 vanced hybrid technology by producing or retro7 fitting 1 or more advanced heavy duty hybrid 

8 vehicles. 

9 (B) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days 

10 after the completion of phase 1, the recipient 

11 shall submit to the Secretary a report con12 taining data and analysis of— 

13 (i) the performance of each vehicle in 

14 carrying out the testing procedures devel15 oped by the Secretary under subparagraph 

16 (E); 

17 (ii) the performance during the test18 ing of the components of each vehicle, in19 cluding the battery, energy management 

20 system, charging system, and power con21 trols; 

22 (iii) the projected cost of each vehicle, 

23 including acquisition, operating, and main24 tenance costs; and 


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1 (iv) the emission levels of each vehicle, 

2 including greenhouse gas levels. 

3 (C) TERMINATION.—The Secretary may 

4 terminate the grant program with respect to the 

5 project of a recipient at the conclusion of phase 

6 1 if the Secretary determines that the recipient 

7 cannot successfully complete the requirements 

8 of phase 2. 

9 (D) TIMING.—Phase 1 shall— 

10 (i) begin on the date of receipt of a 

11 grant under the program; and 

12 (ii) have a duration of 1 year. 

13 (E) TESTING PROCEDURES.— 

14 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

15 develop standard testing procedures to be 

16 used by recipients in testing each vehicle. 

17 (ii) VEHICLE PERFORMANCE.—The 

18 procedures shall include testing the per19 formance of a vehicle under typical oper20 ating conditions. 

21 (3) PHASE 2.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—In phase 2, the recipi23 ent shall demonstrate advanced manufacturing 

24 processes and technologies by producing or retVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:42 May 12, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S938.IS S938

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1 rofitting 50 advanced heavy duty hybrid vehi2 cles. 

3 (B) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days 

4 after the completion of phase 2, the recipient 

5 shall submit to the Secretary a report con6 taining— 

7 (i) an analysis of the technological 

8 challenges encountered by the recipient in 

9 the development of the vehicles; 

10 (ii) an analysis of the technological 

11 challenges involved in mass producing the 

12 vehicles; and 

13 (iii) the manufacturing cost of each 

14 vehicle, the estimated sale price of each ve15 hicle, and the cost of a comparable non-hy16 brid vehicle. 

17 (C) TIMING.—Phase 2 shall— 

18 (i) begin on the conclusion of phase 1; 

19 and 

20 (ii) have a duration of 2 years. 

21 (e) RESEARCH ON VEHICLE USAGE AND ALTER22 NATIVE DRIVE TRAINS.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct 

24 research into alternative power train designs for use 

25 in advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles. 


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1 (2) COMPARISON.—The research shall compare 

2 the estimated cost (including operating and mainte3 nance costs, the cost of emission reductions, and fuel 

4 savings) of each design with similar nonhybrid power 

5 train designs under the conditions in which those ve6 hicles are typically used, including (for each vehicle 

7 type)— 

8 (A) the number of miles driven; 

9 (B) time spent with the engine at idle; 

10 (C) horsepower requirements; 

11 (D) the length of time the maximum or 

12 near maximum power output of the vehicle is 

13 needed; and 

14 (E) any other factors that the Secretary 

15 considers appropriate. 

16 (f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 60 days 

17 after the date the Secretary receives the reports from 

18 grant recipients under subsection (d)(3)(B), the Secretary 

19 shall submit to Congress a report containing— 

20 (1) an identification of the grant recipients and 

21 the projects funded; 

22 (2) an identification of all applicants who sub23 mitted applications for the program; 

24 (3) all data contained in reports submitted by 

25 grant recipients under subsection (d); 


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1 (4) a description of the vehicles produced or 

2 retrofitted by recipients in phases 1 and 2 of the 

3 program, including an analysis of the fuel efficiency 

4 of the vehicles; and 

5 (5) the results of the research carried out under 

6 subsections (e) and (i). 

7 (g) COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.—To the 

8 maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordi9 nate, and not duplicate, activities under this section with 

10 other programs and laboratories of the Department of En11 ergy and other Federal research programs. 

12 (h) COST-SHARING.—Section 988 of the Energy Pol13 icy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352) shall apply to the pro14 gram. 

15 (i) ELECTRICAL GRID RESEARCH PILOT PRO16 GRAM.—The Secretary, acting through the National Lab17 oratories and Technology Centers of the Department of 

18 Energy, shall establish a pilot program to research and 

19 test the effects on the domestic electric power grid of the 

20 widespread use of plug-in hybrid vehicles, including plug21 in hybrid vehicles that are advanced heavy duty hybrid ve22 hicles. 

23 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

25 appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this secVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:42 May 12, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S938.IS S938

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1 tion $16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 

2 through 2014. 

3 (2) LIMITATIONS.—Of the funds authorized 

4 under paragraph (1), not more than $1,000,000 of 

5 the amount made available for a fiscal year may be 

6 used— 

7 (A) to carry out the research required 

8 under subsection (e); 

9 (B) to carry out the pilot program required 

10 under subsection (i); and 

11 (C) to administer the program. 

12 SEC. 3. EXPANDING RESEARCH IN HYBRID TECHNOLOGY 

13 FOR LARGE VEHICLES. 

14 Subsection (g)(1) of the United States Energy Stor15 age Competitiveness Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17231(g)(1)) 

16 is amended by inserting ‘‘vehicles with a gross weight over 

17 16,000 pounds,’’ before ‘‘stationary applications,’’. 

Æ 


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