Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mr. Kohl):

S. 938. 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; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing the Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act, along with my colleagues Senator Feinstein and Senator Kohl. This bill will accelerate research of plug-in hybrid technologies for heavy duty trucks.

The Federal Government, through the 21st Century Truck Partnership, has for some years provided funding to conduct research and development for the modernization of this industry, in association with private industry partners. Despite the significant potential benefits of hybrid trucks, however, research in this area was eliminated recently to focus on passenger vehicles. This decision was shortsighted.

Truck operators in Maine and around the country are again being hard hit by increases in the price of diesel fuel. Given that our nation relies upon the trucking industry to keep our economy running by providing timely delivery of food, industrial products, and raw materials, we must develop alternatives that make the industry less susceptible to dramatic changes in oil prices. Hybrid power technologies offer tremendous promise of reducing this critical industry's dependence on oil.

Trucks consume large amounts of imported fuels. Successfully transitioning trucks to hybrid power technology will reduce our Nation's oil consumption and improve our energy security. The Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act directs the Department of Energy to expand its research in advanced energy storage technologies to include hybrid trucks as well as passenger vehicles. Current hybrid technology works well for cars that can be made with lightweight materials and travel short distances. Trucks need to be constructed with heavy materials commensurate with the heavy loads they carry and, if they are going to be plug-in hybrids, travel relatively long distances between charges. Thus advances in battery and other technologies are needed to make plug-in trucks commercially viable and will require more advanced technology than is required for passenger cars.

Grant recipients will be required to complete two phases. In phase one, recipients must build one plug-in hybrid truck, collect data, and make performance comparisons with traditional trucks. Recipients who show promise in phase one will be invited to enter into phase two where they must produce 50 plug-in hybrid trucks and report on the technological and market obstacles to widespread production. The bill will also sponsor two smaller programs to deal with drive-train issues and the impact of the wide use of plug-in hybrid technology on the electrical grid. In total, the bill authorizes the expenditure of $16 million for each of fiscal years 2012, 2013, and 2014.

We need a comprehensive approach to modernize commercial transportation in the 21st century. The Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act is one vital piece of that approach.

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