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DOE's FreedomCAR: Hurdles, Benchmarks for Progress, and Role in Energy Policy
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Mr. Robert Culver
Mr.
Chairman and Members of the Committee: Thank you for inviting me to
address the committee on the new industry/government cooperative research
partnership called FreedomCAR. My
name is Bob Culver and I am the Executive Director of the United Sates Council
for Automotive Research, or USCAR. USCAR
is the umbrella organization founded in 1992 by DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor
Company, and General Motors to conduct collaborative, pre-competitive research. The USCAR partners fully
support Department of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham's vision of a personal
transportation system free from reliance on petroleum fuels.
We were pleased to join Secretary Abraham at the North American
International Auto Show on January 9 when he announced the FreedomCAR program to
pursue this goal. While the vision of the
FreedomCAR partnership is long range, many aspects of the research will likely
have nearer term benefits. Lightweight
material technologies can and will provide benefits for a variety of vehicles
regardless of propulsion system. And
power electronic technologies, critical for fuel cell drivetrains, are equally
beneficial for nearer-term vehicles.
The USCAR partners also support continuing FreedomCAR funding to address
promising combustion and aftertreatment technologies for internal combustion
engines. Through decades of research,
many industry, government and environmentalist experts have come to agree that
hydrogen-powered fuel cells are our best investment into the future of
transportation. Merely a decade ago, the possibility that a fuel cell could
power a car or light truck appeared to be light years away. At that time, in
order to achieve the power equivalent of an internal combustion engine, the fuel
cell required would be larger than the vehicle it would power. However, today
experimental passenger vehicles, powered by fuel cells, have been demonstrated
by our companies in a variety segments, from compact cars to SUVs and minivans.
While progress on this very
promising technology is being made, much research and development works is still
needed. Affordability remains a major challenge. The costs associated with
putting fuel cell powertrains into vehicles at the current technology level are
literally in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Significant future progress
on this affordability challenge must be made in order to make a business case
for producing them. Because this technology is high risk but offers significant
societal benefits, it is appropriate and necessary for Government involvement.
USCAR has worked with DOE to
streamline and refocus our Partnership on longer term, higher reward
technologies such as hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
As Secretary Abraham has made clear, this is not a short-term vision-it
will take many years of hard work by the auto industry, energy providers, and
federal research organizations to realize this bold vision.
Industry and the DOE have agreed on detailed near term technical goals
for each research area, which are attached to this testimony.
Along with technical roadmaps, the goals will ensure that funds are being
spent in the most promising areas and that research is progressing.
While the vision of a
hydrogen-based transportation system is decades away, it is extremely important
to begin addressing the issues involved with shifting the balance from petroleum
and toward hydrogen. It is also
critical to demonstrate user-friendly hydrogen fueling stations and develop a
roadmap for the new infrastructure development.
FreedomCAR can serve to jointly develop demonstration plans and
milestones to lead the transition to hydrogen powered vehicles. FreedomCAR research is being
focused at the component and sub-system level which will be applicable to a wide
range of vehicle segments. This
will facilitate the migration of technologies into the most appropriate vehicle
platforms as the technologies meet their goals.
The auto industry pledges to bring advanced technologies to market as
soon as a business case can be made for them while at the same time providing
our customers with vehicles that are safe and give them the kind of performance,
function, utility, and value they need and expect for their money.
Past USCAR and government collaborative programs have provided, and will
continue to provide benefits to the American public.
New materials technologies have helped reduce weight, and combustion and
aftertreatment technologies are migrating to today's vehicles.
Clean fuels including low sulfur diesel is a must if these interim
technologies are going to make it into the market place.
All of the USCAR partners have announced hybrid electric vehicles in
2003/2004 and all are in truck and SUV segments where this technology yields the
maximum fuel savings. In summary, the USCAR partners are in full support of FreedomCAR and are hard at work on advanced technologies, including technologies that will help make hydrogen powered vehicles a reality. Attachment: FreedomCAR:
Energy
Security for America's Transportation [Agreement between Department of Energy
and United
States Council for Automotive Research]
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