Testing Rolling Resistance on New Light-Duty OEM Tires

*** Amendment No. 1 *** This amendment is issued to extend the cut-off date for receipt of responses until 11pm. on May 21, 2021. All other items remain unchanged. ***************************************** Action Code: Sources Sought Classification Code: H226, EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS TESTING- TIRES AND TUBES Solicitation: 693JJ921RQ000353 Agency/Office: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Location: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration HQ NAICS Code: 541380, Testing Laboratories, $16.5 M. Point of Contract: Vincent Lynch, Contracting Officer, ph(202) 366-9568 Title: Testing Rolling Resistance on New Light-Duty OEM Tires Description(s): The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice to identify potential qualified Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a) Certified SDB, HUBZone SB, VOSB, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described herein to improve tire rollover resistance coefficients based on the established increasing stringency requirements of under the current regulations. Additionally, NHTSA's past discussions with manufacturers about technologies and compliance pathways to achieve existing standards confirm new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) will specify tires that both ensure fuel efficiency, while also maintaining safety without tire degradation. NHTSA welcomes all qualified Small Business concerns, with the appropriate NAICS Code and past experience to submit their Corporate Capability Statements that demonstrate their ability to successfully accomplish the goals of the project as listed below. Special consideration will be afforded to government-wide initiatives calling for less redundancy through Category Management and annual increases to Best-In-Class (BIC) & Spend Under Management (SUM) goals for the Department of Transportation. Therefore, the agency will implement acquisition guidelines to maximize any opportunities for increased efficiencies prior to consideration of soliciting on the open market. In addition, the government will conduct market research to identify any qualified small businesses; NHTSA does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses to this notice or otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made; no formal evaluation of the information received will be conducted by NHTSA. NHTSA may; however later on issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). However, should such a requirement fail to materialize, no basis for claims against NHTSA shall arise as a result of a response to this notice. Background: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. The agency develops, promotes, and implements effective educational, engineering, and enforcement programs with the goal of ending vehicle crash tragedies and reducing economic costs associated with vehicle use and highway travel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been issuing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) since 1978. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) was enacted on December 19, 2007 and amended EPCA. In addition to passenger car and light truck standards being set at the maximum feasible level in each model year. The EPCA requires Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish average fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks at - the maximum feasible average fuel economy level that the Secretary [of DOT] decides the manufacturers can achieve in that model year. When setting - maximum feasible fuel economy standards, DOT is required to - consider technological feasibility, economic practicability, the effect of other motor vehicle standards of the Government on fuel economy, and the need of the United States to conserve energy. In fulfillment of its EPCA and EISA requirements, NHTSA published a final rule with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with harmonized standards through 2021. This final rule set CAFE standards under EPCA/EISA and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for passenger cars and light trucks manufactured in model years 2017-2021 for CAFE and 2017-2025 for GHG. In early 2020, the agencies finalized the - Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks (SAFE Vehicles Rule). The SAFE Vehicles Rule sets Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions standards, respectively, for passenger cars and light trucks manufactured for sale in the United States in model years (MYs) 2021 through 2026.[1] Objective: The objective is to perform testing services to determine the tire rolling resistance coefficients (RRC) from OEM specified tires equipped on vehicles used for NHTSA's new car assessment program (NCAP) in accordance with ISO 28580 standard test procedures. Capabilities: The corporate capability statement must address the capabilities necessary to accomplish the scope outlined above as well as the additional tasks and characteristics given below: SUPPLIES/SERVICES The Contractor shall provide the necessary qualified personnel, facilities, materials, supplies, equipment, and services as identified in the SOW, which are necessary to perform the following test procedures: C.2.1 Specific Objectives The tests should be conducted on the tires provided by NHTSA. The tires will be from NCAP crash test vehicles. NHTSA will provide the contractor the list of the NCAP vehicles from which to choose the tires. The NCAP crash test vehicles will be from model year 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020. The contractor will select tires (from the rear wheels) from the NCAP frontal impact crash test vehicles The contractor will select undamaged tires (from the non-struck side) from side pole impact crash tests Since NCAP vehicles are new, the mileage accumulation on those vehicles will be very limited. The contractor will run the necessary pre-condition tests according the IO 28580 test procedure before running a test determining the RRC. The contractor will discard any damaged tires and select only the undamaged tires for evaluating tire RRC. The contractor will document the condition of all the tires used in RRC tests as part of the final report Tire Rolling Resistance Testing Low rolling resistance tires is an enabling technology to reduce fuel consumption because of reduced rolling friction between the tires and the road surface. Low rolling resistance tires are designed to reduce the energy loss as the tire rolls, thereby improving the fuel economy. Tire rolling resistance can be measure either by following the ISO 28580 (which is widely used for rating purposes) or SAE J2452 (developed by vehicle manufacturers). The agency will collect data from both the ISO 28580 method and the SAE J2452 standard using the Force method. Format of Corporate Capabilities Statement: Any interested qualified Small Business firms, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a) Certified SDB, HUBZone SB, VOSB, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns should submit their Corporate Capability Statement, which demonstrates the firm's ability and past experience in no more than 10 pages to perform the key requirements described above to the identified NHTSA point of contact listed herein. Any proprietary information should be marked as such. All respondents are asked to certify the type and size of their business organization is in-line with the requirements of this Sources Sought Notice, and must be received no later than 10 calendar days from the date of publication of this notice. [1] NHTSA sets CAFE standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). EPA sets CO2 standards under the Clean Air Act (CAA).