To amend title 49, United States Code, to make the method used by the Department of Energy for calculating electric vehicle-equivalent petroleum fuel economy more accurate, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 11, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
This bill changes how the federal government calculates fuel efficiency ratings for electric vehicles to make the measurements more stringent and realistic. Currently, the Department of Energy uses a simple conversion method to compare electric vehicles to gasoline cars, but this bill requires the agency to account for many additional factors including battery degradation over time, weather impacts on performance, the efficiency losses in the electrical grid, and the energy required to mine and produce battery materials and charging infrastructure. The bill also gives the Secretary of Energy greater authority to review and revise these efficiency calculations annually and requires the Transportation Department to consider Energy Department feedback before finalizing new fuel economy standards for electric vehicles. Effectively, this legislation aims to lower the official fuel economy ratings assigned to electric vehicles by incorporating broader and more realistic measures of energy consumption. The bill does not authorize specific funding but requires the Department of Energy to complete annual reviews of the efficiency values and coordinate with the Transportation Department on any proposed changes.
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