(including safety systems and biomechanics) contracts was about $10 million, with an equal
amount requested for crash avoidance research.In FY 1996, NHTSA has requested $5 million in PNGV-relevant R&D Of this, $3.5 million\ will be used to develop computer models to evaluate the crashworthiness of lightweight
automotive structures; 1.5 million is requested to study the impact of advanced vehicles on
consumers, the U.S. economy, and the U.S. transportation system. NHTSA will administer a
congressionally earmarked program involving joint efforts between West Virginia University and
its industrial partners to demonstrate the use of advanced materials (e.g., metal foams,
composites, and sandwich structures) to improve crashworthiness.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA’s main interest in advanced vehicles relates to their emissions, both criteria pollutants such
as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons, and greenhouse gases. EPA had one Of the earliest
R&D programs on advanced propulsion systems, dating back to a program under the Public
Health Service in 1971. After the formation of DOE in 1976, the program moved to that agency
and evolved into what is now DOE’s Office of Transportation Technologies.There are two current thrusts at EPA relevant to advanced vehicles: one involves cleaner
alternative fuels the other seeks to reduce criteria pollutants from highly efficient, hybrid vehicles
(those having small ICES engines). The requested increase in EPA’s PNGV budget from $7.6
million in FY 1995 to $12.5 million in FY 1996 will go to support the latter thrust. Industry has
identified four-stroke, direct injection engine technology as a “gap area” that needs additional
federal finding. Reducing the emissions from these engines is a major challenge, especially if the
vehicle-operating strategy calls for the engine to be turned on and off repeatedly over the driving
cycle (see hybrid discussion in chapter 3).EPA also has a small program to develop testing and certification standards for electric and
hybrid vehicles. This effort in FY 1995 involved less than one full-time equivalent employee, but
will probably have to be expanded to provide a solid basis for evaluating these vehicles as they are
developed.National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA has experience installing many advanced technologies in aircraft and spacecraft that are
now being considered for light-duty vehicles. These include components such as gas turbines, fuel
cells, lightweight metals and composites, as well as broader system experience with efficient
electric power management and optimization of complex systems. A focal point of these
technologies is the Lewis Research Center, which has managed the advanced gas turbine program
for DOE and fuel cell programs for DOE and DOD.Recent workshops with U.S. automakers identified several NASA technologies that can be
introduced into vehicles in the near term: sensors to measure cylinder pressure and hot exhaust
characteristics; insulating and high-temperature ceramics for improved catalytic converters;
thermoelectric materials to generate electricity from exhaust heat; and optical inspection