Review of the Research Program of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership: Third Report

摘要

This report by the National Research Council's (NRC's) Committee on Review of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Research Program, Phase 3, is the third NRC review. The Phase 1 and Phase 2 reviews were issued in 2005 and 2008, respectively. The long-range goals of the Partnership focus on a transition to a highway transportation system that uses sustainable energy resources and reduces emissions, including net carbon emissions, on a life-cycle or well (source)-to-wheels basis. The Partnership focuses on precompetitive research and development (R&D) that can help to accelerate the emergence of technologies that can meet the long-range goals. The transition is envisioned by the Partnership to begin with the internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered light-duty vehicles that, because R&D leads to a better understanding of the in-cylinder combustion process, achieve increased efficiency and decreased emissions. It would continue with R&D leading to improved hybrid vehicles, both conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), while hydrogen and automotive fuel cell research also continues on the path leading to private-sector commercialization decisions by the year 2015.