Shifting Forward Vehicle Technologies Research and Development Act

#5090 | HR Congress #118

Policy Area: Energy
Subjects:

Last Action: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. (7/28/2023)

Bill Text Source: Congress.gov

Summary and Impacts
Original Text

Bill Summary



This legislation focuses on promoting and supporting the development of advanced vehicle technologies and infrastructure. It establishes programs for research, development, and demonstration of advanced energy efficient mobility solutions, alternative fuels and alternative fuels vehicle technologies, and advanced vehicle energy storage systems. It also creates an advisory committee to advise the Secretary on vehicle technology advancements and appropriates funds for research and development in these areas. The legislation also encourages the use of advanced computing and machine learning in vehicle production and supports the recycling and reuse of valuable components. Additionally, it addresses cybersecurity and physical security risks in the transportation system and promotes the training of future engineers and scientists in advanced automotive energy technologies. The Secretary is required to submit reports on progress and coordinate with other federal agencies, state, local, and tribal governments, and public-private partnerships to support these initiatives.

Possible Impacts



1. The creation of an Advanced Vehicle Research and Development Program will lead to the development of more environmentally-friendly and cost-efficient vehicles, affecting the lives of consumers who will have access to these advanced vehicle technologies.

2. The establishment of an Advanced Vehicle Technologies Advisory Committee will ensure that progress is being made in implementing the DOE Vehicle Program and addressing environmental, safety, and security concerns, impacting the safety and security of individuals who use vehicles and transportation systems.

3. The provision of technical assistance to State, local, and Tribal governments and public-private partnerships for the commercial application of alternative fuels and alternative fuels vehicle technologies will promote the use of greener energy sources and enhance the country's competitiveness in advancing vehicle technologies, ultimately benefiting the environment and the economy.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5090 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5090

 To support research, development, demonstration, and other activities 
  to develop innovative vehicle technologies, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2023

  Ms. Stevens (for herself and Mrs. Dingell) introduced the following 
   bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
                               Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To support research, development, demonstration, and other activities 
  to develop innovative vehicle technologies, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Shifting Forward Vehicle 
Technologies Research and Development Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Alternative fuel.--The term ``alternative fuel'' means 
        a fuel that results in a significant reduction in lifecycle 
        greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria air pollutant emissions 
        compared to conventional fuel options.
            (2) Extreme fast charging.--The term ``extreme fast 
        charging'' means recharging up to 80 percent of battery 
        capacity in approximately 10 minutes or less.
            (3) Sustainable materials.--The term ``sustainable 
        materials'' means materials used throughout the consumer and 
        industrial economy that can be produced in required volumes 
        without depleting nonrenewable resources and without disrupting 
        the established steady-state equilibrium of the environment and 
        key natural resource systems.
            (4) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Energy.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.

SEC. 3. REPORTING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES.

    Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act and every two years thereafter through 2028, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate a report describing--
            (1) the activities undertaken pursuant to this Act, 
        including--
                    (A) the status of public-private partnerships;
                    (B) progress of the programs under sections 4, 6, 
                8, and 12 in meeting goals and timelines; and
                    (C) a strategic plan for funding of activities 
                across agencies; and
            (2) the technologies and knowledge developed and 
        demonstrated as a result of such activities, with a particular 
        emphasis on whether such technologies were successfully adopted 
        for commercial applications, and if so, whether products 
        relying on such technologies are manufactured in the United 
        States.

SEC. 4. ADVANCED VEHICLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of 
relevant Federal agencies, shall conduct a research, development, and 
demonstration program of advanced vehicle technologies on more 
efficient, sustainable, and domestically available materials and 
manufacturing processes with the potential to--
            (1) substantially reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas 
        emissions from the manufacture and use of passenger and 
        commercial vehicles; and
            (2) reduce the cost of vehicle manufacturing and ownership.
    (b) Program Components.--In carrying out the program under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall coordinate with the activities 
authorized under section 137 of the Energy Independence and Security 
Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17014; relating to research and development into 
integrating electric vehicles onto the electric grid) and subsection 
(q) of section 641 of the United States Energy Storage Competitiveness 
Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17231; enacted as subtitle D of title VI of the 
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007; relating to the 
establishment of a critical material recycling and reuse research, 
development, and demonstration program), and with the heads of relevant 
Federal agencies to determine a comprehensive set of technical 
milestones for such activities and focus on research and development 
challenges across the vehicle supply chain including, to the maximum 
extent practicable, activities in the areas of--
            (1) electrification of vehicle systems, including compact 
        and efficient electric drivetrain systems;
            (2) power electronics, electric machines, and electric 
        machine drive systems, which may include--
                    (A) electronic motors, including advanced inverters 
                and motors that can be used for passenger vehicles and 
                commercial vehicles;
                    (B) magnetic materials, including permanent magnets 
                with reduced or no critical materials;
                    (C) improving partial load efficiency;
                    (D) design of power electronics and electric motor 
                technologies that enable efficient recycling of 
                critical materials; and
                    (E) assessing potential impacts of various vehicle 
                systems on electric propulsion performance, including 
                potential impacts from AM/FM radio frequencies;
            (3) vehicle batteries and relevant systems, which may 
        include--
                    (A) advanced batteries systems, ultracapacitors, 
                and other competitive energy storage devices;
                    (B) common interconnection protocols, 
                specifications, and architecture for both 
                transportation and stationary battery applications;
                    (C) energy density and capacity, recharging 
                robustness, extreme fast charging and wireless charging 
                capabilities, and efficiencies to lower cost;
                    (D) lifetime improvement and reduction of potential 
                lifecycle impacts from advanced batteries;
                    (E) improving efficient use and reuse, 
                substitution, and recycling of critical materials in 
                vehicles, including rare earth elements and precious 
                metals, at risk of supply disruption;
                    (F) advanced battery protection systems for safe 
                handling of high voltage power and thermal management;
                    (G) technologies enabling flexible manufacturing 
                facilities that can accommodate different vehicle 
                battery chemistries and configurations; and
                    (H) improving the efficiency and safety of the 
                manufacturing of advanced batteries;
            (4) vehicle components and systems, including manufacturing 
        technologies and processes, which may include--
                    (A) reducing or repurposing waste streams, reducing 
                emissions, and energy intensity of vehicle, engine, and 
                advanced battery manufacturing processes; and
                    (B) increasing the production rate and decreasing 
                the cost of advanced battery and hydrogen fuel cell 
                manufacturing, including purpose-built hydrogen fuel 
                cell vehicles, hydrogen fueling infrastructure, and 
                components;
            (5) hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles and fuel pathways, 
        which may include--
                    (A) vehicle fuel cells and relevant systems, 
                including power electronics systems to regulate fuel 
                cell voltages;
                    (B) synthetic fuels from recycled carbon dioxide 
                and net-zero carbon liquid fuels; and
                    (C) advanced biofuel technologies;
            (6) lubricants and accessory power loads for hybrid and 
        electric vehicles aftertreatment technologies;
            (7) vehicle weight reduction, which may include the 
        development of--
                    (A) more sustainable and cost-effective lightweight 
                materials; and
                    (B) higher efficiency manufacturing processes, such 
                as additive manufacturing, to produce sustainable 
                lightweight materials and fabricate, assemble, and use 
                dissimilar materials, including--
                            (i) lightweight systems which combine 
                        several existing vehicle components; and
                            (ii) voluntary, consensus-based standards 
                        for strategic lightweight materials;
            (8) improved vehicle recycling methods to increase the 
        recycled material content of feedstocks used in raw material 
        manufacturing;
            (9) vehicle propulsion systems, which may include--
                    (A) engine and component durability;
                    (B) engine down speeding;
                    (C) advanced internal combustion engines;
                    (D) transmission gear and engine operation 
                matching; and
                    (E) advanced transmission technologies;
            (10) applying advanced computing resources to large, 
        voluntarily provided industry datasets from providers and 
        cities to support the development of predictive engineering, 
        modeling, and simulation of components, vehicle, and 
        transportation systems;
            (11) leveraging the use of machine learning toward 
        manufacturing and additive manufacturing optimization, which 
        may include--
                    (A) assessing the efficiency and safety of 
                manufacturing processes;
            (12) advanced computing systems, including energy efficient 
        systems, technology, and networking for vehicular on-board, 
        off-board, and edge computing applications;
            (13) assessing automation in both vehicle and 
        infrastructure systems;
            (14) infrastructure, which may include--
                    (A) refueling and charging infrastructure for 
                alternative fueled and electric drive or plug-in 
                electric hybrid vehicles, with consideration for the 
                unique challenges facing urban and rural areas;
                    (B) extreme fast charging, including through wired 
                and wireless charging systems;
                    (C) integration, bidirectional capability, and 
                operational optimization of vehicle electrification for 
                light, medium, and heavy duty with the charging 
                infrastructure and the electric grid; and
                    (D) sensing, communications, and actuation 
                technologies for vehicle, electric grid, and 
                infrastructure, which may include--
                            (i) communication, onboard sensing, and 
                        connectivity among vehicles, infrastructure, 
                        pedestrians, and the electrical grid;
                            (ii) assessing the use of autonomous 
                        vehicles or connectivity to improve roadway 
                        throughput; and
                            (iii) research autonomous refueling and 
                        charging technologies and infrastructure;
            (15) retrofitting advanced vehicle technologies to existing 
        vehicles;
            (16) informing and educating the public on the energy 
        benefits of automation and connected vehicle technologies, 
        connected infrastructure assets, and mobility applied sensors 
        to build trust and acceptance;
            (17) reusing valuable components and materials, such as 
        permanent magnets and other electric drive components for 
        advanced vehicles; and
            (18) transportation system analysis to further understand 
        the energy implications and opportunities of advanced mobility 
        solutions, communication, and connectivity among vehicles, 
        infrastructure, pedestrians, and the electrical grid.
    (c) Nonroad Transportation Environmental and Technical Assistance 
Research.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, in carrying out the program 
        established under subsection (a), and in consultation with the 
        heads of relevant Federal agencies, shall support research, 
        development, and demonstration activities to address and reduce 
        nonroad sector emissions from transportation fuels used in 
        aviation, rail, and maritime technologies and other relevant 
        technologies. Such activities may be carried out primarily by 
        an Energy Innovation Hub established under section 206 of the 
        Department of Energy Research Coordination Act (42 U.S.C. 
        18632).
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the research, development, and 
        demonstration activities under paragraph (1) shall be to--
                    (A) identify, study, evaluate, test, and 
                demonstrate emerging transformational nonroad vehicle 
                energy technologies and practices to improve 
                environmental performance to meet Federal and 
                international standards and guidelines, including 
                reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water emissions, or 
                other particulate or toxic emissions;
                    (B) advance research, development, and 
                demonstration activities to--
                            (i) overcome barriers in transformational 
                        nonroad vehicle energy technologies, including 
                        alternative fuels such as hydrogen, components, 
                        and other energy technologies to improve total 
                        machine or system efficiency for nonroad mobile 
                        equipment; and
                            (ii) increase the fuel economy and use of 
                        alternative fuels and alternative energy;
                    (C) support opportunities to transfer relevant 
                research findings and technologies between the nonroad 
                and on-highway equipment and vehicle sectors; and
                    (D) test relevant precommercial technologies.
            (3) Coordination.--The Secretary may coordinate the 
        research, development, and demonstration activities under 
        paragraph (1) with activities--
                    (A) that are associated with the development or 
                approval of validation and testing regimes; and
                    (B) related to certification or validation of 
                emerging energy technologies or practices that 
                demonstrate significant environmental or other benefits 
                to domestic non-road transportation industries.
            (4) Assistance.--The Secretary may enter into cooperative 
        agreements, contracts, or other agreements with academic, 
        public, private, and nongovernmental entities and facilities to 
        carry out the activities under paragraph (1).
            (5) Transformational nonroad vehicle technology defined.--
        In this section, the term ``transformational nonroad vehicle 
        technology'' means an innovative technology that--
                    (A) enables advanced nonroad transportation, 
                nonroad transportation components, and related energy 
                technologies that have the potential to produce 
                significantly lower emissions and greater energy 
                savings than current commercial technologies;
                    (B) enables improved or expanded supply and 
                production of domestic emission reducing fuels and 
                components; or
                    (C) ensures the long term, secure, and sustainable 
                supply of critical materials.
    (d) Standard of Review.--The Secretary shall periodically review 
activities carried out under this section to determine the achievement 
of technical milestones as determined by the Secretary.
    (e) Technology Testing and Metrics.--In carrying out the program 
under subsection (a), the Secretary, in coordination with the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, shall--
            (1) develop voluntary, consensus-based standard testing 
        procedures, methodologies, and best practices for evaluating 
        the performance of advanced vehicle technologies, including 
        heavy vehicle technologies under a range of representative duty 
        cycles and operating conditions, including for electrified and 
        hydrogen fuel cell systems; and
            (2) evaluate advanced vehicle performance, including heavy 
        vehicle and nonroad vehicle performance using work performance-
        based metrics.

SEC. 5. ADVANCED ON-ROAD VEHICLE SECURITY PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the program 
under section 4, the program authorized under section 137 of the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17014), and the heads 
of relevant Federal agencies, shall establish a research and 
development program focused on the cybersecurity and physical security 
of interconnections between vehicles, vehicle energy storage systems, 
charging equipment, buildings, and the electric grid for plug-in 
electric vehicles, connected vehicles, autonomous, and other relevant 
vehicles, including the security impacts, efficiency, and safety of 
plug-in electric vehicles using alternating current charging, high-
power direct current fast charging, and extreme fast charging.
    (b) Assessment.--The Secretary shall develop a 5- to 10-year impact 
assessment of emergent cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities to the 
United States on-road transportation system and connected 
infrastructure by identifying--
            (1) areas of research with respect to which Federal cross-
        agency research coordination and cooperation may help address 
        such threats and vulnerabilities; and
            (2) current research and challenges associated with cyber-
        physical protection and resiliency of electric and connected 
        and automated vehicle technologies.

SEC. 6. VEHICLE ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM SAFETY PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--In coordination with the program under section 4, 
the Secretary shall support a program of research, development, and 
demonstration of vehicle energy storage safety and reliability.
    (b) Activities.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
support activities to--
            (1) examine the mechanisms that lead to vehicle energy 
        storage system safety and reliability incidents;
            (2) develop new materials to improve overall vehicle energy 
        storage system safety and abuse tolerance;
            (3) perform abuse testing;
            (4) advance and perform testing techniques;
            (5) demonstrate detailed failure analyses;
            (6) mitigate vehicle energy storage cell and system 
        failures, including hydrogen fuel storage tanks; and
            (7) develop crush-induced battery safety protocols and 
        technical standards to improve robustness.

SEC. 7. ADVANCED VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the Advanced 
Vehicle Technologies Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as 
the ``advisory committee'') to advise the Secretary on vehicle 
technology and mobility system research advancements. The advisory 
committee shall be composed of not fewer than 15 members, including 
representatives of research and academic institutions, environmental 
organizations, industry, and nongovernmental entities, including 
relevant labor organizations and associations representing automobile 
manufacturers, who are qualified to provide advice on the research, 
development, and demonstration activities under this Act (in this 
section referred to as the ``DOE Vehicle Program'').
    (b) Assessment.--The advisory committee shall assess--
            (1) the current state of United States competitiveness in 
        advancing vehicle technologies and mobility systems, 
        including--
                    (A) the scope and scale of United States 
                investments in sustainable and advanced transportation 
                research, development, and demonstration; and
                    (B) the scope and scale of research, development, 
                and demonstration activities to lower vehicle and fuel 
                lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions;
            (2) progress made in implementing the DOE Vehicle Program, 
        including progress toward meeting the technical milestones as 
        determined by the Secretary pursuant to section 4;
            (3) the balance of research and development activities and 
        funding across the DOE Vehicle Program;
            (4) the management, coordination, implementation, and 
        activities of the DOE Vehicle Program;
            (5) whether environmental, safety, security, and other 
        appropriate issues are adequately addressed by the DOE Vehicle 
        Program; and
            (6) other relevant topics as determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Reports.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once every three 
years thereafter, the advisory committee shall submit to the Secretary, 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate a report on--
            (1) the findings of the advisory committee's assessments 
        under subsection (b); and
            (2) the advisory committee's recommendations for ways to 
        improve or revise the DOE Vehicle Program.
    (d) Application of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Section 14 of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 
the advisory committee.

SEC. 8. MEDIUM- AND HEAVY-DUTY COMMERCIAL AND TRANSIT VEHICLES PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with relevant 
research and development programs carried out by other relevant Federal 
agencies and appropriate industry stakeholders, including relevant 
labor organizations, shall carry out a program of research, 
development, and demonstration activities on advanced energy 
technologies for medium- to heavy-duty commercial, vocational, 
recreational, and transit vehicles, including, to the maximum extent 
practicable, activities in the areas of--
            (1) vehicle engines, which may include--
                    (A) engine efficiency, emission controls, and 
                combustion research;
                    (B) energy and space-efficient emissions control 
                systems;
                    (C) engine idle and parasitic energy loss 
                reduction;
                    (D) advanced internal combustion engines; and
                    (E) engine down speeding;
            (2) electric drive trains, including--
                    (A) durable highly efficient power electronics and 
                electric machinery research;
                    (B) partial load efficiency improvements;
                    (C) control and coordination research for electric 
                drive systems using multiple electric motors;
                    (D) regenerative braking to recoup braking energy; 
                and
                    (E) high fidelity modeling to accelerate design and 
                adoption of electrified commercial vehicles;
            (3) friction and wear reduction;
            (4) improved aerodynamics and tire rolling resistance;
            (5) advanced lightweighting materials and vehicle designs;
            (6) synthetic fuels from recycled CO<INF>2</INF> and other 
        net-zero carbon liquid fuels;
            (7) vehicle batteries, including--
                    (A) complete vehicle and battery pack modeling, 
                simulation, and testing; and
                    (B) thermal management of battery systems;
            (8) mild hybrid, heavy hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric 
        platforms, and energy storage technologies, including--
                    (A) identifying and developing solutions for 
                technical barriers to advance batteries;
                    (B) electric drive systems; and
                    (C) charging and refueling systems for medium-duty 
                goods and heavy-duty freight delivery vehicles;
            (9) vehicle components, including--
                    (A) transmission and drivetrain optimization, 
                including compact and efficient electric drivetrain 
                systems;
                    (B) waste heat recovery and conversion;
                    (C) electrification of steering systems, braking 
                systems, and accessory loads;
                    (D) onboard sensing, computing, and communications 
                technologies; and
                    (E) advanced battery protection systems for safe 
                handling of high voltage power;
            (10) relevant infrastructure, including bidirectional 
        capability, beyond megawatt charging, and increasing load 
        capacity per vehicle;
            (11) recharging infrastructure and compressed natural gas 
        infrastructure;
            (12) hydrogen vehicle technologies, including--
                    (A) fuel cells;
                    (B) hydrogen fueling infrastructure;
                    (C) the development of medium and heavy-duty 
                refueling equipment design and concepts;
                    (D) synthetic fuels;
                    (E) onboard technologies for compressed and other 
                advanced hydrogen storage systems; and
                    (F) advanced cooling technologies for fuel cell 
                thermal management;
            (13) retrofitting advanced energy technologies onto 
        existing truck and bus fleets;
            (14) assessment of automated and connected vehicle 
        technologies;
            (15) energy use strategies, including charging patterns 
        that minimize impacts on the distribution grid and optimize the 
        use of clean, low-cost generation resources; and
            (16) integration of advanced systems onto a single truck 
        and trailer platform or bus.
    (b) Medium- and Heavy-Duty Systems Research, Development, and 
Demonstration.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall award financial 
        assistance for the research, development, and demonstration of 
        the integration of multiple advanced energy technologies and 
        advanced operational efficiency for medium- and heavy-duty 
        platforms and trailers, including the integration of 
        technologies specified in subsection (a).
            (2) Applicant.--Applicants applying for assistance under 
        paragraph (1) may be comprised of truck and trailer 
        manufacturers, engine and component manufacturers, hydrogen 
        fuel cell and component manufacturers, public and private fleet 
        owners and customers, university researchers, and other 
        applicants determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 9. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out this Act, the Secretary may 
provide technical assistance to State, local, and Tribal governments or 
to a public-private partnership described in subsection (b) to assist 
with the commercial application of alternative fuels and alternative 
fuels vehicle technologies and infrastructure.
    (b) Public-Private Partnership Described.--A public-private 
partnership described in this subsection is a public-private 
partnership comprised of State, local, or Tribal governments and 
nongovernmental entities, including industry partners.
    (c) Assistance.--Technical assistance under this section may 
include--
            (1) coordination in the selection, location, and timing of 
        alternative fuel recharging and refueling equipment and 
        distribution infrastructure, including the identification of 
        transportation corridors and specific alternative fuels that 
        may be made available;
            (2) development of communication and other relevant 
        protocols that integrate vehicle refueling and recharging into 
        electric, hydrogen, biofuels, or other alternative fuel 
        distribution systems;
            (3) development of procedures for the installation of 
        alternative fuel distribution and recharging and refueling 
        equipment;
            (4) education and outreach for the commercial application 
        of alternative fuels; and
            (5) analysis of nontechnical barriers to integration of 
        alternative fuel vehicles into electric and natural gas utility 
        distribution systems.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2028.

SEC. 10. GRADUATE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION CENTERS OF RESEARCH 
              EXCELLENCE (GATE).

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to establish up 
to seven Graduate Automotive Technology Education Centers of Research 
Excellence (referred to in this section as ``Centers'') at an 
institution of higher education or a consortium thereof, to provide 
future generations of engineers and scientists with knowledge and 
skills in advanced automotive energy technologies.
    (b) Purpose.--Each Center shall--
            (1) promote the development of skilled engineering 
        professionals who will overcome technical barriers and help 
        commercialize the next generation of advanced automotive energy 
        technologies;
            (2) support graduate research and establish or expand 
        course study and laboratory work; and
            (3) test energy technologies that represent the scale of 
        technology development beyond laboratory testing, but not yet 
        advanced to testing under operational conditions at commercial 
        scale.
    (c) Considerations.--In awarding grants for the operation of the 
Centers under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that--
            (1) the portfolio of Centers includes a diverse 
        representation of geographical regions and resources;
            (2) each new Center demonstrates unique research 
        capabilities, unique regional benefits, or new energy 
        technology development opportunities; and
            (3) applicants are institutions of higher education with 
        established expertise in engineering and design for advanced 
        automotive energy technologies or are involved in partnerships 
        with such institutions.
    (d) Requirement.--In carrying out subsection (c), the Secretary 
shall ensure that grants for the operation of the Centers under this 
section are awarded to two or more entities that represent a 
Historically Black College or University, minority-serving institution, 
or Tribal College or University as the primary awardees or as members 
of a consortium.
    (e) Schedule.--Each grant to operate a Center under this section 
shall be awarded for a term of not more than five years, subject to the 
availability of appropriations. The Secretary may renew such five-year 
terms only once without competition limits, subject to a merit review 
process.
    (f) Limitation.--Funds provided through a grant under this section 
may not be used for the construction of a physical building or facility 
to hold a Center unless the Secretary determines that such construction 
is necessary for reasons of safety or the use of relevant equipment.
    (g) Technical Assistance.--The Director may provide technical 
assistance to institutions of higher education receiving a grant under 
this section or entities seeking such a grant.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $8,300,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2028.

SEC. 11. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION TO ASSESS RESEARCH GAPS IN ALTERNATIVE 
              FUEL DELIVERY, DISTRIBUTION, AND TRANSMISSION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall publish a request for 
information that shall be used by the Secretary to evaluate research, 
development, and demonstration activities to assess alternative fuel 
transmission and delivery technical barriers. The request shall 
identify research barriers associated to existing electric transmission 
and distribution systems to the distribution of alternative fuels and 
the deployment of alternative fuel recharging and refueling capability, 
at economically competitive costs of alternative fuel for consumers, 
including research to address--
            (1) electric grid load management and applications that 
        will allow bidirectional batteries in plug-in electric drive 
        vehicles to be used for grid storage, ancillary services 
        provision, and backup power;
            (2) integration of plug-in bidirectional electric drive 
        vehicles with smart grid technology, including necessary 
        equipment, and information technology systems;
            (3) technical and economic barriers to delivery 
        technologies for hydrogen and biofuels sufficient to support 
        widespread consumer use; and
            (4) any other technical barriers to installing sufficient 
        and regionally appropriate alternative fuel recharging and 
        refueling infrastructure, including sufficiency and efficient 
        use of zero-emissions generation and transmission capabilities.
    (b) Consultation.--The Secretary shall carry out this section in 
coordination with relevant industry, State, local, and Tribal 
governments, and academic stockholders.
    (c) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report 
summarizing the findings under subsection (a).

SEC. 12. ENERGY EFFICIENT MOBILITY SYSTEMS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of 
relevant Federal agencies, shall support a program of research, 
development, and demonstration of advanced energy efficient mobility 
solutions that will address the potential energy impacts of advanced 
vehicle technologies throughout the transportation sector. Such program 
shall include the development of tools, techniques, processes, and 
capabilities to understand and identify essential components to improve 
the energy productivity of integrated mobility systems.
    (b) Activities.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
support activities to--
            (1) improve the energy and mobility impacts of emerging and 
        potentially disruptive technologies and services;
            (2) assess automated vehicle computing loads and 
        capabilities;
            (3) improve onboard sensing and external connectivity, 
        including Vehicle-to-Vehicle, Vehicle-to-Infrastructure, and 
        Vehicle-to-Everything;
            (4) maximize vehicle energy efficiency for connected 
        vehicles under real-world driving conditions;
            (5) assess methods to use autonomous vehicles or 
        connectivity to improve roadway throughput;
            (6) research advance autonomous refueling and charging 
        technologies and infrastructure;
            (7) apply machine learning with high performance computing 
        resources to large industry datasets from providers and cities 
        to develop predictive capabilities for the transportation 
        system;
            (8) optimize systems for mobility, grid and buildings to 
        support vehicle electrification and vehicle automation from 
        light duty to heavy duty with grid stability, demand response, 
        and reliability; and
            (9) carry out other innovative energy focused research and 
        development areas as determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 13. COORDINATION.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out the activities under this Act, the 
Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate 
research, development, and demonstration activities among--
            (1) relevant programs of the Department, including programs 
        carried out by--
                    (A) the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
                Energy;
                    (B) the Office of Science;
                    (C) the Office of Electricity;
                    (D) the Office of Fossil Energy;
                    (E) the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, 
                and Emergency Response;
                    (F) the Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy;
                    (G) the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations; and
                    (H) other offices as determined by the Secretary; 
                and
            (2) relevant technology research and development programs 
        of other Federal agencies, including--
                    (A) the Department of Transportation;
                    (B) the National Institute of Standards & 
                Technology;
                    (C) the National Science Foundation;
                    (D) the Department of Defense; and
                    (E) other Federal agencies as determined by the 
                Secretary.
    (b) Intergovernmental Coordination.--In carrying out this Act, the 
Secretary shall seek opportunities to leverage resources and support 
initiatives of Federal, State, and local governments in developing 
advanced vehicle technologies, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

SEC. 14. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 
research, development, and demonstration of alternative fuels, vehicle 
propulsion systems, vehicle components, and other related technologies 
in the United States, including activities authorized under this Act--
            (1) for fiscal year 2024, $530,000,000;
            (2) for fiscal year 2025, $556,500,000;
            (3) for fiscal year 2026, $584,325,000;
            (4) for fiscal year 2027, $613,541,250; and
            (5) for fiscal year 2028, $644,218,312.
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