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This plan addresses Department of Transportation (DOT) research and development activities that support improvements in the environmental characteristics and energy efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles 1 and, by increasing the long-term capability of domestic companies to produce clean and efficient vehicles, also foster future economic growth and productivity. This plan documents the early stages of what is expected to be an ongoing strategic planning process specific to research and development (R&D) in these areas. This R&D complements, and is coordinated with, efforts focused on other strategic goals for transportation, including transportation safety—the Department’s most important goal. DOT’s medium- and heavy-duty vehicle programs are distinct in at least three important respects. First, in the case of the Advanced Vehicle Technologies Program (AVP), federal resources are being focused on truly revolutionary technologies—electric and hybrid-electric propulsion—for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. In contrast, heavy vehicle research supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) is focused primarily on making improvements to the diesel engine—a technology upon which these vehicles have relied for many years. In addition, the AVP addresses multiple vehicle types—examples include buses, trucks, locomotives, and marine vessels—unlike the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV), which is focused on automobiles. AVP projects are coordinated with the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) and other departmental safety programs—in particular, those of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)—in order to ensure that next-generation medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will meet future safety standards. Second, DOT’s R&D programs, in particular the AVP, benefit from innovative contracting and management processes, reduced overhead, and collaborative efforts which maximize the impact of the funding. AVP funds are cost-shared, and are allocated through a competitive team-based peer review process in which concept papers based on broad performance guidance are first solicited from the eligible regional consortia and then full proposals—the basis for awarding funds—are requested for those ranked highly. Funding is awarded through "other transactions" authority, a non-procurement instrument that involves payments based on cost-shared accomplishment of agreed-upon milestone objectives and operates outside a number of acquisition regulations. Other transaction agreements are used in lieu of standard contracting mechanisms to expedite and streamline project development and to enhance participation by the private sector. This non-traditional, industry-driven, cost-shared approach to Federal contracting for research and development increases the commitment of the partners, everages valuable research funding, strengthens the likelihood for success, and reduces risk to the Federal investment. Third, DOT manages two R&D programs that focus specifically on the development of advanced technologies to improve publicly supported passenger transportation. Through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA’s) Equipment and Infrastructure R&D, DOT is pursuing important advancements in both transit buses and transit rail systems. Also, through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA’s) High-Speed Ground Transportation (HSGT) program, DOT is promoting the development of intercity passenger transportation systems that will provide a time-competitive alternative to air and/or automobiles for medium-distance trips. These activities are both distinct in their focus on improving the performance of transportation systems in which scarce public resources play a particularly important role. DOT is involved in a number of additional programs that support the advancement of technology for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and Coast Guard (CG) are involved in partnerships to develop fuel cells for marine vessels. The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO) manages the Department’s multimodal ITS Program, including applications for commercial vehicles. DOT also manages funding for the University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies (CAVT), which was established in September of 1998 and focuses on new vehicle technologies, computer-based modeling tools teaching advanced technology, and partnering with regional industry. |
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 U.S. Department of Transportation |