As might be anticipated, the largest requested increases in FY 1996 are in DOE’s Electric and
Hybrid Vehicle Program, which is the cornerstone of the PNGV effort. The areas of increase are
high-power energy storage devices, fuel cells, and hybrid systems. Small piston engines and
turbines for hybrids are requested for a significant increase at DOE, as are materials for
lightweight vehicles; however, hybrid vehicle and composite materials programs in the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency
(ARPA) may face large cuts.
The priorities reflected in the federal budget request for FY 1996 appear generally consistent
with the results of OTA’s technical analysis. Research needs identified by OTA including the need
for improved high-power energy storage systems, more cost-effective ceramic and composite
manufacturing processes, and cost reduction of fuel cell systems, are all targeted for increases by
DOE.^78 The opportunity noted by OTA for using a small, efficient direct injection diesel in a
hybrid vehicle is also part of additional finding requested by DOE and EPA in FY 1996.
The finding priorities also tend to support recent statements by observers of PNGV that the
most likely configuration of the PNGV prototype vehicle is a hybrid, powered in the near term by
a piston engine, and in the longer term perhaps by a fuel cell. There are significant increases for
contracts on hybrid energy storage devices, hybrid systems (including a hybrid development team
at Chrysler), and fuel cells.
R&D Areas Likely to Require Increased Support in the Future.
By its own acknowledgment, PNGV is a technology development program focused primarily
on component and vehicle hardware to achieve its 80 mpg goal. At this stage, less attention is
being given to several issues—including safety, infrastructure, standards development, and life-
cycle materials management—that must be addressed before successful commercialization of an
advanced vehicle. In each of these areas, the private-sector role is the dominant one, but
government also has an important role to play. The upshot is that as the initial hardware problems
with advanced vehicles are solved, substantial additional federal resources will have to be
allocated to address the following issues.
. Safety. Advanced vehicles raise numerous new safety concerns stemming both from their lightweight
structures and unconventional propulsion systems. Of course, the primary responsibility-and
liability-for vehicle safety lies with the automakers. Government, however, has the responsibility to
understand the issues and set appropriate safety performance standards. While DOE and National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have made a good start in areas such as advanced
batteries and lightweight materials, much more remains to be done.
(^78) Note, however, that the contemplated cuts in NIST's Advanced Technology Program and ARPA’s Electric and Hybrid vehicle program hit
some research areas, such ascomposites manufacturing, particularly hard. If these programs are eliminated,they will more than offset proposed
increases by DOE in composites processing funding.