million budget that is shared equally between DOE, USCAR and the electric utility industry.
DOE finding in FY 1995 was $26.9 million.The Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP), which now includes the former Automotive
Composites Consortium, conducts joint research to develop lightweight materials for improved
fuel economy. Materials included are: polymer composites; light metals (aluminum, magnesium,
titaniu, and metal composites); engineered plastics, cast iron, steel, and ceramics. At this
writing, all research on polymer composites had been on the less expensive, but lower performing
glass-fiber reinforced materials, rather than the more expensive carbon-fiber materials. Life cycle
assessment of materials use is also being investigated under USAMP.
The Low Emission Technologies R&D Partnership (LEP), in addition to research funded
exclusively by the Big Three aimed at such areas as 100,000-mile in-use emission compliance and
evaporative emissions control systems, has a number of ongoing projects with the national
laboratories on emission control technologies, the largest of which is on the development of a lean
NOX catalyst. LEP is also working with NASA in the areas of advanced sensor technology and
thermoelectric materials for generating electricity from exhaust heat.
The activities of the Supercomputer Automotive Applications Partnership include development
of technology to reduce drastically design time through computer visualization, and to analyze
crashworthiness, especially for modeling the behavior of composite materials.The Vehicle Recycling Partnership is working on recycling technologies for numerous
automotive components and materials, and also on strategies for material sorting and
identification, as well as material selection and design criteria for improving the recyclability of
cars.Utilities
Suppliers of alternative fuels for alternative vehicles (e.g., natural gas and electricity) have an
inherent interest in supporting research, development, and demonstration programs that would
expand transportation markets for those fuels. A further incentive is that energy utilities come
under the procurement mandates of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which require that they
increase purchases of alternative fuel vehicles for their own fleets. Thus, utilities are assuming a
leadership role in fleet demonstration programs and in developing the necessary refueling
infrastructure to support wider use of their own fuels.
DOE coordinates 13 institutions participating in the Site Operator Program, they are located in
various regions of the country, and test electric vehicles under many different conditions of
weather, climate, and terrain. In FY 1994, these institutions, which include universities, electric
utilities, and military installations, were testing approximately 190 electric vehicles, and more than
40 additional vehicles were on order. Cost sharing of DOE contracts among the site operators is
generally more than 90 percent.
The Electric Power Research Institute, which is the principal research arm of the electric utility
industry, established the Infrastructure Working Committee (IWC) in 1991. IWC brings together