§13281 Program and solicitation

Summary

The Secretary must run a program to demonstrate electric motor vehicles and their equipment. The Secretary must work with program site operators, vehicle manufacturers, electric utilities, and others as needed. The program must speed up the development and use of electric vehicles and must test how they perform in real-world use, including fleet use, and what supporting infrastructure they need. No later than 18 months after October 24, 1992, the Secretary must ask for proposals to carry out these demonstrations in one or more eligible metropolitan areas and may ask for more proposals later if needed. Each proposal must describe the vehicle maker(s), who will use the vehicles, the metro area(s), how many vehicles and their type and life-cycle costs, the price difference and any proposed discount payment, contributions by state, local, or other parties, the equipment to be tested, the domestic content, and any other information the Secretary asks for. If a lease is involved, the proposal must state the lease terms. The solicitation will set a deadline for proposals, and the Secretary may extend that deadline by up to 90 days.