(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Energy. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary for research, development, engineering, demonstra-
tion, and commercial application of vehicles and related 
technologies in the United States, including activities au-
thorized under this Act, such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal years 2016 through 2020. 
TITLE I—VEHICLE RESEARCH 
AND DEVELOPMENT 
SEC. 101. PROGRAM. 
(a) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall conduct a pro-
gram of basic and applied research, development, engi-
neering, demonstration, and commercial application activi-
ties on materials, technologies, and processes with the po-
tential to substantially reduce or eliminate petroleum use 
and the emissions of the Nation’s passenger and commer-
cial vehicles, 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 manu-
facturing technologies and processes; 
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(5) engine efficiency and combustion optimiza-
tion; 
(6) waste heat recovery; 
(7) transmission and drivetrains; 
(8) natural gas vehicle technologies; 
(9) aerodynamics, rolling resistance (including 
tires and wheel assemblies), and accessory power 
loads of vehicles and associated equipment; 
(10) 
vehicle 
weight 
reduction, 
including 
lightweighting materials and the development of 
manufacturing processes to fabricate, assemble, and 
use dissimilar 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 nat-
ural gas and other liquid and gaseous fuels; 
(17) predictive engineering, modeling, and sim-
ulation of vehicle and transportation systems; 
(18) refueling and charging infrastructure for 
alternative fueled and electric or plug-in electric hy-
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brid vehicles, including the unique challenges facing 
rural areas; 
(19) gaseous fuels storage systems and system 
integration and optimization; 
(20) sensing, communications, and actuation 
technologies for vehicle, electrical grid, and infra-
structure; 
(21) efficient use, substitution, and recycling of 
potentially critical materials in vehicles, including 
rare earth elements and precious metals, at risk of 
supply disruption; 
(22) aftertreatment technologies; 
(23) thermal management of battery systems; 
(24) retrofitting advanced vehicle technologies 
to existing vehicles; 
(25) development of common standards, speci-
fications, and architectures for both transportation 
and stationary battery applications; 
(26) advanced internal combustion engines; 
(27) mild hybrid; 
(28) engine down speeding; and 
(29) other research areas as determined by the 
Secretary. 
(b) TRANSFORMATIONAL TECHNOLOGY.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure that the Department continues to sup-
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port research, development, engineering, demonstration, 
and commercial application activities and maintains com-
petency in mid- to long-term transformational vehicle tech-
nologies with potential to achieve deep reductions in petro-
leum use and emissions, including activities in the areas 
of— 
(1) hydrogen vehicle technologies, including fuel 
cells, hydrogen storage, infrastructure, and activities 
in hydrogen technology validation and safety codes 
and standards; 
(2) multiple battery chemistries and novel en-
ergy storage devices, including nonchemical batteries 
and electromechanical storage technologies such as 
hydraulics, flywheels, and compressed air storage; 
(3) communication and connectivity among ve-
hicles, infrastructure, and the electrical grid; and 
(4) other innovative technologies research and 
development, as determined by the Secretary. 
(c) INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION.—To the maximum 
extent practicable, activities under this Act shall be carried 
out in partnership or collaboration with automotive manu-
facturers, heavy commercial, vocational, and transit vehi-
cle manufacturers, qualified plug-in electric vehicle manu-
facturers, compressed natural gas vehicle manufacturers, 
vehicle and engine equipment and component manufactur-
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ers, manufacturing equipment manufacturers, advanced 
vehicle service providers, fuel producers and energy sup-
pliers, electric utilities, universities, national laboratories, 
and independent research laboratories. In carrying out 
this Act the Secretary shall— 
(1) determine whether a wide range of compa-
nies that manufacture or assemble vehicles or com-
ponents in the United States are represented in on-
going public private partnership activities, including 
firms that have not traditionally participated in fed-
erally sponsored research and development activities, 
and where possible, partner with such firms that 
conduct significant and relevant research and devel-
opment activities in the United States; 
(2) leverage the capabilities and resources of, 
and formalize partnerships with, industry-led stake-
holder organizations, nonprofit organizations, indus-
try consortia, and trade associations with expertise 
in the research and development of, and education 
and outreach activities in, advanced automotive and 
commercial vehicle technologies; 
(3) develop more effective processes for trans-
ferring research findings and technologies to indus-
try; 
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