MEMA Supports Legislation that Aims to Advance Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Technologies

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) applauds the introduction of bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will promote investments in research and development of clean vehicle and advanced safety technologies to increase fuel efficiency and reduce American dependence on foreign oil.

The Vehicle Innovation Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Haley Stevens (D-MI), identifies potential fuel-saving technologies as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communications, mild hybrid, engine down speeding, power pack modeling and testing, advanced boosting systems, new vehicle sensing and communication, hydrogen and natural gas refueling and electric vehicle charging technology.

The legislation also authorizes critical resources for the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office to encourage research to ensure steady funding is available to help manufacturers keep pace with emerging advanced technologies that have the potential to reduce fuel costs in the national vehicle fleet.

“We all want consumers to have access to new technologies that allow cars and trucks to be more fuel efficient and produce lower emissions. The Vehicle Innovation Act makes that possible,” said Bill Long, President and CEO of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association. “This legislation brings together the best of public-private partnerships with support for domestic research and manufacturing activities to achieve that goal. We applaud Senators Peters, Alexander, and Stabenow and Representatives Dingell and Stevens for advancing the Vehicle Innovation Act and working to make these important emerging technologies more readily available to consumers.”

The proposed legislation is similar to a previous bill that was originally introduced by Senators Peters, Alexander and Stabenow. That bill was approved by the U.S. Senate as part of the Energy Policy Modernization Act but did not advance during the 114th Congress.