Brownley introduces Bill to help support zero-emission vehicle manufacturing

Today, Congresswoman Brownley introduced the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program Reform Act, which expands the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to cover all types of zero-emission vehicles and reform the loan application process.

“Our country should be a leader in zero-emission vehicle manufacturing, but we are currently falling behind our international competitors in this growing market,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “I introduced this bill to ensure the federal government is giving zero-emission vehicle manufacturing the necessary boost so that America can become a world leader in this space. This will not only be good for the U.S. economy, but it is also a necessary component of tackling the global climate crisis.”
Background
The Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVM) was created in 2007 to help commercialize domestic manufacturing of the next generation of light-duty automobiles. Since then, the U.S. light-duty zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) market has undergone significant growth, while the medium- and heavy-duty ZEV market (buses and trucks) is still in its infancy. China has so far dominated the electric bus sector, but there’s still time for the U.S. to catch up and be a major player in this lucrative new space. ATVM still has $17.7 billion in loan authority remaining, making it a ready-to-go source of funding to get the medium- and heavy-duty ZEV market off the ground.
The Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program Reform Act does three things to better utilize ATVM for the U.S.’s needs in 2020:
    •    It expands ATVM to cover all types of ZEV manufacturing, including medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
    •    It reforms the financial viability requirements for loan applicants to track more closely with the Department of Energy’s larger Title XVII loan guarantee program.
    •    It directs GAO to conduct a study on the program to determine what other reforms are needed to reduce the barriers in ATVM’s approval process and then requires the U.S. Department of Energy to follow GAO’s recommendations.