H.R. 8609

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8609 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8609

To support research, development, and other activities to develop 
innovative vehicle technologies, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 30, 2026

Mrs. Dingell (for herself and Ms. Stevens) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To support research, development, and other activities to develop 
innovative vehicle technologies, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Vehicle Innovation Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
Department of Energy.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of Energy.

SEC. 3. OBJECTIVES.

The objectives of this Act are--
(1) to establish a consistent and consolidated authority 
for the vehicle technology program at the Department;
(2) to develop United States technologies and practices 
that improve the fuel efficiency and emissions of all vehicles 
produced in the United States;
(3) to support domestic research, development, engineering, 
demonstration, and commercial application and manufacturing of 
advanced vehicles, engines, and components;
(4) to enable vehicles to move larger volumes of goods and 
more passengers with less energy and emissions;
(5) to develop cost-effective advanced technologies for 
wide-scale utilization throughout the passenger, commercial, 
government, and transit vehicle sectors;
(6) to allow for greater consumer choice of vehicle 
technologies and fuels;
(7) to shorten technology development and integration 
cycles in the vehicle industry;
(8) to ensure a proper balance and diversity of Federal 
investment in vehicle technologies; and
(9) to strengthen partnerships between Federal and State 
governmental agencies and the private and academic sectors.

SEC. 4. COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.

The Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that 
the activities authorized by this Act do not duplicate those of other 
programs within the Department or other relevant research agencies.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 
research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial 
application of vehicles and related technologies in the United States, 
including activities authorized under this Act--
(1) for fiscal year 2027, $313,567,000;
(2) for fiscal year 2028, $326,109,000;
(3) for fiscal year 2029, $339,154,000;
(4) for fiscal year 2030, $352,720,000; and
(5) for fiscal year 2031, $366,829,000.

SEC. 6. REPORTING.

(a) Technologies Developed.--Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter through 2031, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report regarding the technologies 
developed as a result of the activities authorized by this Act, with a 
particular emphasis on whether the technologies were successfully 
adopted for commercial applications, and if so, whether products 
relying on those technologies are manufactured in the United States.
(b) Additional Matters.--At the end of each fiscal year through 
2031, the Secretary shall submit to the relevant Congressional 
committees of jurisdiction an annual report describing activities 
undertaken in the previous year under this Act, active industry 
participants, the status of public-private partnerships, progress of 
the program in meeting goals and timelines, and a strategic plan for 
funding of activities across agencies.

SEC. 7. VEHICLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

(a) Program.--
(1) Activities.--The Secretary shall conduct a program of 
basic and applied research, development, engineering, 
demonstration, and commercial application activities on 
materials, technologies, and processes with the potential to 
substantially reduce petroleum use and the emissions of the 
passenger and commercial vehicles of the United States, 
including activities in the areas of--
(A) electrification of vehicle systems;
(B) batteries, ultracapacitors, and other energy 
storage devices;
(C) power electronics;
(D) vehicle, component, and subsystem manufacturing 
technologies and processes;
(E) engine efficiency and combustion optimization;
(F) waste heat recovery;
(G) transmission and drivetrains;
(H) hydrogen vehicle technologies, including fuel 
cells and internal combustion engines, and hydrogen 
infrastructure, including hydrogen energy storage to 
enable renewables and provide hydrogen for fuel and 
power;
(I) natural gas vehicle technologies;
(J) aerodynamics, rolling resistance (including 
tires and wheel assemblies), and accessory power loads 
of vehicles and associated equipment;
(K) vehicle weight reduction, including 
lightweighting materials and the development of 
manufacturing processes to fabricate, assemble, and use 
dissimilar materials;
(L) friction and wear reduction;
(M) engine and component durability;
(N) innovative propulsion systems;
(O) advanced boosting systems;
(P) hydraulic hybrid technologies;
(Q) engine compatibility with and optimization for 
a variety of transportation fuels, including natural 
gas and other liquid and gaseous fuels;
(R) predictive engineering, modeling, and 
simulation of vehicle and transportation systems;
(S) refueling and charging infrastructure for 
alternative fueled and electric or plug-in electric 
hybrid vehicles, including the unique challenges facing 
rural areas;
(T) gaseous fuels storage systems and system 
integration and optimization;
(U) sensing, communications, and actuation 
technologies for vehicle, electrical grid, and 
infrastructure;
(V) efficient use, substitution, and recycling of 
potentially critical materials in vehicles, including 
rare earth elements and precious metals, at risk of 
supply disruption;
(W) aftertreatment technologies;
(X) thermal management of battery systems;
(Y) retrofitting advanced vehicle technologies to 
existing vehicles;
(Z) development of common standards, 
specifications, and architectures for both 
transportation and stationary battery applications;
(AA) advanced internal combustion engines;
(BB) mild hybrid;
(CC) engine down speeding;
(DD) vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-pedestrian, and 
vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies; and
(EE) other research areas as determined by the 
Secretary.
(2) Transformational technology.--The Secretary shall 
ensure that the Department continues to support research, 
development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial 
application activities and maintains competency in mid- to 
long-term transformational vehicle technologies with potential 
to achieve reductions in emissions, including activities in the 
areas of--
(A) hydrogen vehicle technologies, including fuel 
cells, hydrogen storage, infrastructure, and activities 
in hydrogen technology validation and safety codes and 
standards;
(B) multiple battery chemistries and novel energy 
storage devices, including nonchemical batteries and 
electromechanical storage technologies such as 
hydraulics, flywheels, and compressed air storage;
(C) communication and connectivity among vehicles, 
infrastructure, and the electrical grid; and
(D) other innovative technologies, research, and 
development, as determined by the Secretary.
(3) Industry participation.--
(A) In general.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
activities under this Act shall be carried out in 
partnership or collaboration with automotive 
manufacturers, heavy commercial, vocational, and 
transit vehicle manufacturers, qualified plug-in 
electric vehicle manufacturers, compressed natural gas 
vehicle manufacturers, vehicle and engine equipment and 
component manufacturers, manufacturing equipment 
manufacturers, advanced vehicle service providers, fuel 
producers and energy suppliers, electric utilities, 
universities, national laboratories, and independent 
research laboratories.
(B) Requirements.--In carrying out this Act, the 
Secretary shall--
(i) determine whether a wide range of 
companies that manufacture or assemble vehicles 
or components in the United States are 
represented in ongoing public-private 
partnership activities, including firms that 
have not traditionally participated in 
federally sponsored research and development 
activities, and, where possible, partner with 
such firms that conduct significant and 
relevant research and development activities in 
the United States;
(ii) leverage the capabilities and 
resources of, and formalize partnerships with, 
industry-led stakeholder organizations, 
nonprofit organizations, industry consortia, 
and trade associations with expertise in the 
research and development of, and education and 
outreach activities in, advanced automotive and 
commercial vehicle technologies;
(iii) develop more effective processes for 
transferring research findings and technologies 
to industry;
(iv) support public-private partnerships, 
dedicated to overcoming barriers in commercial 
application of transformational vehicle 
technologies, that use such industry-led 
technology development facilities of entities 
with demonstrated expertise in successfully 
designing and engineering pre-commercial 
generations of such transformational 
technology; and
(v) promote efforts to ensure that 
technology research, development, engineering, 
and commercial application activities funded 
under this Act are carried out in the United 
States.
(4) Interagency and intraagency coordination.--To the 
maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordinate 
research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application activities among--
(A) relevant programs within the Department, 
including--
(i) the Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy;
(ii) the Office of Science;
(iii) the Office of Electricity Delivery 
and Energy Reliability;
(iv) the Office of Fossil Energy;
(v) the Advanced Research Projects Agency--
Energy; and
(vi) other offices as determined by the 
Secretary; and
(B) relevant technology research and development 
programs within other Federal agencies, as determined 
by the Secretary.
(5) Federal demonstration of technologies.--The Secretary 
shall make information available to procurement programs of 
Federal agencies regarding the potential to demonstrate 
technologies resulting from activities funded through programs 
under this Act.
(6) Intergovernmental coordination.--The Secretary shall 
seek opportunities to leverage resources and support 
initiatives of State and local governments in developing and 
promoting advanced vehicle technologies, manufacturing, and 
infrastructure.
(7) Criteria.--In awarding grants under the program under 
this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to those 
technologies (either individually or as part of a system) 
that--
(A) provide the greatest aggregate fuel savings 
based on the reasonable projected sales volumes of the 
technology; and
(B) provide the greatest increase in United States 
employment.
(8) Secondary use applications.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a 
research, development, and demonstration program that--
(i) builds on any work carried out under 
section 915 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(42 U.S.C. 16195);
(ii) identifies possible uses of a vehicle 
battery after the useful life of the battery in 
a vehicle has been exhausted;
(iii) conducts long-term testing to verify 
performance and degradation predictions and 
lifetime valuations for secondary uses;
(iv) evaluates innovative approaches to 
recycling materials from plug-in electric drive 
vehicles and the batteries used in plug-in 
electric drive vehicles;
(v)(I) assesses the potential for markets 
for uses described in clause (ii) to develop; 
and
(II) identifies any barriers to the 
development of those markets; and
(vi) identifies the potential uses of a 
vehicle battery--
(I) with the most promise for 
market development; and
(II) for which market development 
would be aided by a demonstration 
project.
(B) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
the appropriate committees of Congress an initial 
report on the findings of the program described in 
subparagraph (A), including recommendations for 
stationary energy storage and other potential 
applications for batteries used in plug-in electric 
drive vehicles.
(C) Secondary use demonstration.--
(i) In general.--Based on the results of 
the program described in subparagraph (A), the 
Secretary shall develop guidelines for projects 
that demonstrate the secondary uses and 
innovative recycling of vehicle batteries.
(ii) Publication of guidelines.--Not later 
than 18 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall--
(I) publish the guidelines 
described in clause (i); and
(II) solicit applications for 
funding for demonstration projects.
(iii) Pilot demonstration program.--Not 
later than 21 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
select proposals for grant funding under this 
subsection, based on an assessment of which 
proposals are most likely to contribute to the 
development of a secondary market for 
batteries.
(b) Manufacturing.--The Secretary shall carry out a research, 
development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application 
program of advanced vehicle manufacturing technologies and practices, 
including innovative processes--
(1) to increase the production rate and decrease the cost 
of advanced battery and fuel cell manufacturing;
(2) to vary the capability of individual manufacturing 
facilities to accommodate different battery chemistries and 
configurations;
(3) to reduce waste streams, emissions, and energy 
intensity of vehicle, engine, advanced battery, and component 
manufacturing processes;
(4) to recycle and remanufacture used batteries and other 
vehicle components for reuse in vehicles or stationary 
applications;
(5) to develop manufacturing processes to effectively 
fabricate, assemble, and produce cost-effective lightweight 
materials such as advanced aluminum and other metal alloys, 
polymeric composites, and carbon fiber for use in vehicles;
(6) to produce lightweight high pressure storage systems 
for gaseous fuels;
(7) to design and manufacture purpose-built hydrogen fuel 
cell vehicles and components;
(8) to improve the calendar life and cycle life of advanced 
batteries; and
(9) to produce permanent magnets for advanced vehicles.

SEC. 8. MEDIUM- AND HEAVY-DUTY COMMERCIAL AND TRANSIT VEHICLES PROGRAM.

The Secretary, in partnership with relevant research and 
development programs in other Federal agencies, and a range of 
appropriate industry stakeholders, shall carry out a program of 
cooperative research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application activities on advanced technologies for medium- to heavy-
duty commercial, vocational, recreational, and transit vehicles, 
including activities in the areas of--
(1) engine efficiency and combustion research;
(2) onboard storage technologies for compressed and 
liquefied natural gas;
(3) development and integration of engine technologies 
designed for natural gas operation of a variety of vehicle 
platforms;
(4) waste heat recovery and conversion;
(5) improved aerodynamics and tire rolling resistance;
(6) energy and space-efficient emissions control systems;
(7) mild hybrid, heavy hybrid, hybrid hydraulic, plug-in 
hybrid, electric platforms, and energy storage technologies;
(8) drivetrain optimization;
(9) friction and wear reduction;
(10) engine idle and parasitic energy loss reduction;
(11) electrification of accessory loads;
(12) onboard sensing and communications technologies;
(13) advanced lightweighting materials and vehicle designs;
(14) increasing load capacity per vehicle;
(15) thermal management of battery systems;
(16) recharging infrastructure;
(17) compressed natural gas infrastructure;
(18) advanced internal combustion engines;
(19) complete vehicle and power pack modeling, simulation, 
and testing;
(20) hydrogen vehicle technologies, including fuel cells 
and internal combustion engines, and hydrogen infrastructure, 
including hydrogen energy storage to enable renewables and 
provide hydrogen for fuel and power;
(21) retrofitting advanced technologies onto existing truck 
fleets;
(22) advanced boosting systems;
(23) engine down speeding; and
(24) integration of these and other advanced systems onto a 
single truck and trailer platform.

SEC. 9. CLASS 8 TRUCK AND TRAILER SYSTEMS DEMONSTRATION.

(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a competitive grant 
program to demonstrate the integration of multiple advanced 
technologies on Class 8 truck and trailer platforms, including a 
combination of technologies listed in section 8.
(b) Applicant Teams.--Applicant teams may be comprised of truck and 
trailer manufacturers, engine and component manufacturers, fleet 
customers, university researchers, and other applicants as appropriate 
for the development and demonstration of integrated Class 8 truck and 
trailer systems.

SEC. 10. TECHNOLOGY TESTING AND METRICS.

The Secretary, in coordination with the partners of the interagency 
research program described in section 8--
(1) shall develop standard testing procedures and 
technologies for evaluating the performance of advanced heavy 
vehicle technologies under a range of representative duty 
cycles and operating conditions, including for heavy hybrid 
propulsion systems;
(2) shall evaluate heavy vehicle performance using work 
performance-based metrics other than those based on miles per 
gallon, including those based on units of volume and weight 
transported for freight applications, and appropriate metrics 
based on the work performed by nonroad systems; and
(3) may construct heavy duty truck and bus testing 
facilities.

SEC. 11. NONROAD SYSTEMS PILOT PROGRAM.

The Secretary shall undertake a pilot program of research, 
development, demonstration, and commercial applications of technologies 
to improve total machine or system efficiency for nonroad mobile 
equipment, including agricultural, construction, air, and sea port 
equipment, and shall seek opportunities to transfer relevant research 
findings and technologies between the nonroad and on-highway equipment 
and vehicle sectors.

SEC. 12. REPEAL OF EXISTING AUTHORITIES.

(a) In General.--Sections 706, 711, 712, and 933 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16051, 16061, 16062, 16233) are repealed.
(b) Energy Efficiency.--Section 911 of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16191) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``vehicles, 
buildings,'' and inserting ``buildings''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by striking subparagraph (A); and
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) 
through (E) as subparagraphs (A) through (D), 
respectively; and
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking paragraph (3);
(B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
(3); and
(C) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ``(a)(2)(D)'' and inserting ``(a)(2)(C)''.
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