FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 8, 1999
Contact: Patricia Klinger
Telephone: 202-366-4831
RSPA 17-99
U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater Announces
New Advanced Transportation R&D Projects
To Enhance American Competitiveness and Create Jobs
MONROVIA, Calif.—Building upon President Clinton’s commitment to mobilize private sector investments in untapped domestic markets, U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced new projects valued at more than $4 million awarded to participants in Electricore, Inc., a consortium dedicated to developing advanced transportation technologies.
Electricore will manage three projects under the Advanced Vehicle Technologies Program (AVP), a public-private partnership intended to create cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The projects will be conducted by Electricore participants in California, Tennessee and New Jersey. Electricore, Inc., is based in Indianapolis, Ind.
"These projects will help America produce vehicles that will help build new industries and jobs, creating new markets and strengthening our economy," Secretary Slater said. "They demonstrate how transportation is about more than asphalt, concrete and steel. It’s about investment in people and providing the means by which we Americans can get to where we need to go–to jobs, to schools, to markets, to take advantage of all the opportunities our great nation offers."
The Electricore projects are:
"Our targeted vehicle market for hybrid vehicle technology will include heavy-duty cargo trucks, transit and shuttle buses, school buses, and military wheeled vehicles," said Dan Hancock, president of Allison Transmission. "Heavy duty hybrid electric vehicles offer the best hope for reduced emissions and significantly improved fuel economy in the next 10 years."
"These environmentally friendly trams support the memorandum of understanding between the Department of Transportation and the Department of the Interior and Electricore’s commitment to placing electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) into the National Park Service," said Ellen Engleman, president and CEO of Electricore, Inc. "Electric bicycles, pickups, trams, trams, trolleys and buses can be used for administration and maintenance, public transit and educational programs by the national parks."
Electricore delivered the first electric tram to Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt in October of 1994 at Patuxent Wildlife Refuge in Patuxent, Md., and is partnered with Channel Islands National Park and others.
"Successful completion of this SiC project will create a new technology for 75 percent improvement in energy efficiency, in weight and size of the EV and HEV powertrains," said Dr. Jian Zhao, Rutgers University project leader.
The AVP is jointly managed and jointly funded by the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Defense and a broad cross-section of public and private partners. The goal of the program is to bring advanced medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to the nation’s roads, waterways, airports, and rails by helping to develop, demonstrate and deploy new vehicles, components and infrastructure.
During the first year of the AVP, $12.1 million in federal funds will be matched by $15.7 million in private sector investment for new technologies for advanced buses, trucks, and airport support vehicles, with application to other vehicle types in rail, maritime and surface modes. Projects selected for fiscal 1999 focus on EVs and HEVs vehicles, including infrastructure.
The AVP is authorized under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) which President Clinton signed into law in June 1998 and which guarantees about $200 billion to maintain and improve America’s surface transportation systems for the 21st century.
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