21st Century Vehicle Choice Act

(a) Vehicle choice report. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit to Congress a report titled the Vehicle Choice Report on the quantity of new motor vehicle varieties available for purchase in the United States that includes—

(1) the number of varieties available of personal use, light-duty vehicles, light-duty trucks, heavy-duty vehicles, and heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans; and

(2) an accounting of the trends in average and median purchase prices and ownership costs (including insurance, fuel, and maintenance) of personal use, light-duty vehicles, light-duty trucks, heavy-duty vehicles, and heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans.

(b) Reports on critical minerals for hybrid and electric vehicles. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter for the next 5 years, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the United States Trade Representative, shall submit to Congress a report—

(1) that identifies the critical minerals (as defined in section 2 of Executive Order 13817 (82 Fed. Reg. 60835; relating to a Federal strategy to ensure secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals)) needed for the manufacture or operation of hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, battery technologies, and other related emerging technologies; and

(2) that describes implementation of section 4 of Executive Order 13817 with respect to the critical minerals identified under paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(c) Study and reports on gasoline super-users

(1) Initial study and report

(A) In general. Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, shall submit to Congress a report that identifies the geographic regions with the highest concentrations and numbers of gasoline super-users and the 100 routes most used in such geographic regions.

(B) Availability on websites of the Departments. The Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Transportation shall, respectively, make the report submitted under paragraph (1) available on the website of the Department of Energy and the website of the Department of Transportation.

(2) Electric vehicle charging station availability and usage reports. Not later than 1 year after the report is submitted under paragraph (1), and annually thereafter for the following 5 years, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, shall submit to Congress and make available to the public a report on the availability and usage rates of public and private electric vehicle charging stations in the geographic regions and along the routes identified in the report submitted under paragraph (1).

(d) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Gasoline super-user

(A) In general. The term gasoline super-user means the owner of a light-duty vehicle that is in the top 10 percent for gasoline consumption, as estimated under subparagraph (B).

(B) Estimate

(i) Requirement. The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall estimate how much gasoline each light-duty vehicle consumes per year.

(ii) Methodology. In making an estimation under clause (i), the Secretary of Energy shall divide the average miles driven by a light-duty vehicle per year during the period of ownership of the vehicle by the person who owns the vehicle on the date of enactment of this Act, by the EPA-rated miles per gallon of that light-duty vehicle, based on data sources such as State departments of motor vehicles, smog check data, and oil change data.

(2) Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans. The term heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans has the meaning given that term in section 523.7 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations.

(3) Heavy-duty vehicle; light-duty vehicle; light-duty truck. The terms heavy duty vehicle, light-duty vehicle, and light-duty truck have the meaning given those terms in section 86.082–2(b) of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations.

(4) Motor vehicle. The term motor vehicle has the meaning given that term in section 30102(a) of title 49, United States Code.

(5) New. The term new, with respect to a motor vehicle, means that—

(A) a sale is not recorded and a title has not been issued for that vehicle;

(B) the only documentation on the vehicle is the point of origin of the manufacturer; and

(C) there may be recorded mileage for that vehicle.