NATURAL GAS FOR CARS AND TRUCKS: OPTIONS AND CHALLENGES - Natural Gas-powered Cars and Trucks: Options and Issues - page 23

Other Federal Legislation

Other pending legislation affecting natural gas vehicles includes:



S. 2065, Alternative Fuel Vehicle Act (originally introduced as S.
1355), seeks to provide parity for dual-fuel natural gas vehicles with
electric vehicles and dedicated natural gas vehicles under the federal
CAFE standards and greenhouse gas regulations. Current law
provides limited incentives for dual-fuel natural gas vehicles. The
sponsors would like to spur the use of dual-fuel natural gas vehicles
by expanding the definition of dedicated natural gas vehicles to
include models with a reserve gasoline tank for incidental or
emergency use. S. 2065 would also amend CAFE standards to alter
the treatment of natural gas vehicles and provide natural gas vehicles
with access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

 H.R. 1027 and S. 488, Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2013 ,

would authorize a DOE program of research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application of passenger and
commercial vehicle technologies to reduce or eliminate petroleum
use.

 H.R. 1364, New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans

Solutions Act of 2013 , would allow an excise tax credit through 2018
for alternative fuels and fuel mixtures involving CNG or LNG,
establish an income tax credit for CNG and LNC vehicles, and extend
through 2018 the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling
property. It would also require DOE to provide grants to improve the
performance and efficiency of natural gas vehicles and urge EPA to
provide incentives to encourage and reward manufacturers who
produce natural gas vehicles.

 H.R. 2242, State and Local Fleet Efficiency Act , would recognize the

authority of state and local governments to require their fleets to
acquire only new vehicles that use natural gas as a fuel or are flexible
fuel vehicles that operate on gasoline, E85, and M85.

 H.R. 2493, Open Fuel Standard Act of 2013 , would promote the

production of alternative fuel light vehicles. (Qualified vehicles
include natural gas, hydrogen, biodiesel, E85, M85, and plug-in
electric drive.) It would require U.S. automakers to produce at least
30% qualified vehicles in MY2016 and 50% qualified vehicles in
MY2017 and each subsequent years.