National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Mission Support Subcontractors Section, 15/2, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393

B -- ALTERNATIVE FUEL, LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLE STUDY Sol. Synopsis No. 5-367. Contact K. Roque, Subcontract Administrator, 303/275-3124, Paulette Fontaine-Westhart, Contracting Officer/Manager, Mission Support Subcontracts Section, 303/275-3190. Sources Sought - The Federal Government hsa been actively promoting the use of alternative fuels in the transportation industry through several major acts and Executive orders. Under the Alternative Motor Fuels act (AMFA) of 1988, the Department of Energy (DOE) was required to develp a program which encourages the production of light duty vehicles, buses and trucks that can run on alternative fuels, such as methanol, ethanol, and natural gas. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been designated ``Program Manager'' for implementation of various portions of the AMFA. As part of its mission under AMFA, NREL is collecting operational, performance, maintenance and emissions data on light duty vehicles (passenger cars, vans and pickups) operating on alternative fuels. This data is publicly accessible through the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) electronic database and through the National Alternative Fuels Hotline (NAFH), NREL is seeking to identify private fleets that are operating alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and who are interested in working jointly with NREL to collect data related to alternative fuel vehicle performance. The primary purpose of this type of project is to provide enough detailed operating and maintenance data to enable any fleet manager to evaluate the cost of operating AFVs. In order to do this NREL seeks to work with private fleets that meet the following criteria: (1) Thw fleet must be operating twenty (20) or more identical model vehicles. The desire is to have three gasoline control vehicles and 5 to 15 vehicles in the fleet operating on an alternative fuel. (2) The fleet must be currently operating at least 5 to 10 of the same model vehicles on alternative fuels, or plan to begin operation of AFVs in the next 12 to 18 months. Acceptable fuels include ethanol, methanol, compressed natural gas, propane and biodiesel. Vehicles may be either original equipment from the manufacturer or conversions where appropriate. (3) Each vehicle in the proposed fleet must accumulate at least 70,000 miles annually to be considered (higher mileage accumulation is a positive). The desire is to start a data collection effort on new vehicles or vehicles with relatively low mileage accumulation (less than 5000 miles), and to complete a data collection effoet in about 12 months. (4) The fleet must maintain accurate maintenance records. NREL seeks to collect detailed operating and maintenance data, and emissions and driveablity data on the fleet vehicles. The data collected will be incorporated into NREL's publicly accessible database. NREL will work with the fleet manager to place an on-site person to handle the data collection, to minimize the impact of the data collection effort on the fleet's operation. By this and other means NREL will compensate the fleet for becoming a partner in such a project. In addition, the fleet will be acknowledged for data contributed to NREL's Alternative Fuels database and in any reports resulting from their fleet data. Any private fleet operators who might be interested in working with NREL to collect and share valuable data on light-duty AFV operations should mail or fax a list of qualifications to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401, or Fax: 303/275-4415, attention: Peg Whalen. The expression of interest and list of qualifications should include the following: (a) the fleet size and location, (b) the vehicle types in the fleet (model and year), and the typical annual mileage accumultion, (c) the number of vehicles operating on alternative fuel or planned to be operating on alternative fuel (indicate approximately when the AFV's will begin service), (d) the alternatvie fuel to be used by the fleet, (e) any experience with vehicle operation data collection efforts, and (f) a contact name, phone number, fax number and mailing address. This synopsis is not a request for proposal. (205)

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