Please click here to view the Briefing Summary!

EESI sponsored a Congressional briefing on the technology revolution taking place in the automobile industry. While Congress and the Administration continue to debate and promulgate new laws and regulations that affect automobiles, questions arise regarding how new technologies might transform the future of cars and trucks.

This briefing was sponsored in conjunction with the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) American Tour de Sol, the national championship for electric vehicles. The Tour displayed dozens of the latest "green" vehicles that traveled from New York City to Washington, showcasing some of the best electric and hybrid-electric vehicles in the world. This was the twelfth anniversary of the NESEA American Tour de Sol, a challenging real-world demonstration for automakers and students from the best universities and high schools around the country. The road rally ended Thursday, May 18 in Washington, DC on the Mall near the U.S. Capitol. Displays and ride-and-drives of the vehicles were available.

Fundamental technology changes in the automobile are taking place right now that would have been inconceivable even five or tens years ago. Jack Smith, CEO of General Motors has stated "No car company will be able to thrive in the 21st century if it relies solely on the internal combustion engine." A Wall Street Journal article stated "Automakers . . . have reached a surprising consensus on an idea deemed heretical not long ago: A fundamental shift in engine technology is needed." Now billions of dollars are being invested in fuel cells, hybrids-electric drivetrains and advanced energy storage devices.

Several key federal policies will both impact and be impacted by this unknown future. Some of these major federal policies include the:

• Clean Air Act: Achieve federal standards for healthy air, establish state and regional implementation plans, and establish vehicle emissions standards.



• Energy Policy Act: Reduce oil imports by 10% by the year 2000, and 30% by 2010, require purchase of vehicles that are "substantially non-petroleum."



• Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards: Establish miles per gallon corporate averages for passenger cars (27 mpg) and light trucks (20.7 mpg, includes sport utilities, pickup trucks and minivans) that are technically feasibility, economically practical and conserve energy.



• Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles: Partnership with the federal government and domestic automakers to produce a production prototype vehicle that achieves up to three times the mpg or CAFE standard.



• Climate Change Action Plan: Stabilize greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. Kyoto Protocol: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012.



• Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21): Fund highway, transit, safety, and environmental transportation programs.

What are the promising future vehicle technologies? How fast will they penetrate the market? What impacts do they have on air pollution, oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions? What is the role of the federal government? These questions were addressed at the briefing by experts from across the country. The briefing panelists included:

This briefing was part of EESI's series in support of Earth Day 2000!