Shifting Forward Vehicle Technologies Research and Development Act

Key Points

• The bill authorizes roughly $2.93 billion over five years (2027-2031) for the Department of Energy to lead research on cleaner, cheaper vehicle technologies, including electric cars, hydrogen fuel cells, and advanced batteries.
• A key goal is extreme fast charging technology that could recharge a car battery to 80% in about 10 minutes, along with better battery recycling to reduce dependence on foreign critical materials like rare earth elements.
• The bill funds research for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses, and nonroad transportation like aviation, rail, and maritime, aiming to cut emissions from freight and transit sectors.
• Up to seven Graduate Automotive Technology Education Centers of Research Excellence (GATE) would be created at universities, with at least two grants going to Historically Black Colleges, minority-serving institutions, or Tribal Colleges.
• The bill provides $50 million per year in technical assistance to state, local, and tribal governments to help deploy alternative fuel infrastructure like EV charging stations and hydrogen fueling in their communities.
• Cybersecurity research is included to protect connected and autonomous vehicles from hacking threats, with a 5-to-10-year threat assessment for the nation's on-road transportation system.