emissions testing standards, fuel economy standards, and standard procedures for handling
emergency situations).As one example, emissions testing of hybrid vehicles presents a complex problem. Depending
on the relative sizes of the engine and battery (or other energy storage device), the control
algorithm that determines when the power sources turn on and off, and the fuel type, the
emissions from the hybrid over the test cycle may range from zero to a significant level. How the
test procedures are established and how emissions limits are set could have a major impact on
what kinds of hybrids are produced as well as their cost. Yet, EPA currently has less than one full
time equivalent employee working on this problem. In the future, important roles can be seen for
NIST (for materials and manufacturing standards), EPA (for environmental performance
standards), DOE (for component testing and certification standards, and refueling standards), and
NHTSA (for safety standards).
Life Cycle Materials Flows. Light-weight vehicles with advanced powertrains will utilize a very
different set of materials than do current autos. Because the auto industry is such a prodigious
user of materials, any significant change would have wide-ranging ramifications for the entire life
cycle of materials use, from extraction of raw materials to final disposal. As one example, if 10
percent of all new vehicles sold in California in 2003 are electric vehicles, and most of these use
advanced lead acid batteries, the auto industry’s demand for lead will increase significantly. While
the lead mining industry may be able to handle the increased demand, a significant impact is
expected on the battery-recycling industry. In fact, significant increases can be expected in
releases of lead residues to the environment from battery-recycling processes.^42 To the extent that
battery recycling facilities are not located in California, the net effect of the California ZEV
regulations would be to “export” lead pollution to other states where recycling is performed.
Similar life-cycle impacts on the economy and environment may result from use of other advanced
materials in other propulsion systems or structural components.DOE conducted some studies of materials flows associated with battery EV’s in the early
1980s.
43
These appeared to concentrate primarily on questions of materials availability, rather
than environmental impacts on the entire materials cycle. These studies must be updated to reflect
modem technologies and regulations. The Department of the Interior Bureau of Mines has
developed considerable expertise in recent years in the areas of life-cycle materials flows, and
might be an effective agency for preliminary studies.Future Role of Federal R&D Programs.
At this writing, Congress is debating the appropriate federal and private-sector roles in
supporting scientific research and technology development across a broad range of areas.
Advanced vehicle R&D and especially the joint public/private partnership concept of PNGV is
part of that debate. Below, OTA discusses several issues that Congress should consider in its
deliberations.42- ~ve d d., “EIItinmental Implication of Electric C~” Science, vol. 268, May 19, 1995, p. 993.
43s= 3 fw e-pie, U.S. ~~mt of -B, “Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Rogram: Firat Annual R-to ~ng~” q~ 1977, P.
29.