Mass Reduction for Light-Duty Vehicles for Model Years 2017-2025

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (USDOT) NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) Synopsis for DTNH22-13-R-00669 Vehicle Weight Reduction Feasibility and Cost Study- Full Size Pick-up Truck Introduction: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). NHTSA's 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 preventable tragedies and reducing economic costs associated with vehicle use and highway travel. NHTSA has been issuing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) for the last thirty years. EPCA requires 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." The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) was enacted on December 19, 2007 and amended EPCA by mandating, in addition to passenger car and light truck standards being set at the maximum feasible level in each model year, that the model year (MY) 2011-2020 CAFE standards be set sufficiently high to ensure that the industry-wide average of all new passenger cars and light trucks, combined, is not less than 35 miles per gallon (mpg) by MY 2020. Purpose: The purpose of this contract is to design a light-weighted light-duty pickup truck that can, at minimum, meet the performance functions of the original baseline vehicle while controlling for both direct and indirect cost to maintain affordability. The contractor shall pick a baseline vehicle that best represents the contractor's expectation of the light-duty pickup truck fleet for MY 2021 and perform a teardown study to build the baselines for engineering analysis and cost analysis for the light-weighted design. The contractor shall use advanced design, material and manufacturing processes that will likely be available in the time frame of model years 2020-2030 for high volume production to develop an engineering design with sufficient detail such that computer aided engineering analysis can be performed to demonstrate crashworthiness of the vehicle concept. The contractor shall also calculate and provide a comprehensive incremental cost estimate for the concept vehicle in relative to the baseline vehicle, including both detailed direct (price) and some of the indirect cost estimates, such as tooling and equipment investment. The NAICS Code for this contract is 541330. Contractors must be registered in the US Federal Contractor Registrations and must complete electronic representatives and certification on the ORCA database located at www.sam.gov to be considered for contract award. It is the Government's intent to award a Cost Plus Fixed Fee type contract resulting from the solicitation, with or without discussions, to the responsible offeror whose proposal, conforming to the solicitation, is most advantageous to the Government based on the evaluation factors contained in the solicitation. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the FedBizOpps Internet site for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any) and download the documents. The estimated release date of the solicitation is on or about March 12, 2013. The duration of the anticipated award is 24 months. The Request for Proposal will be available for Full and Open Competition. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. This notice is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. Potential sources who believe they can provide the services listed above are invited to submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified point of contact. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination by the Government to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government. The anticipated award date is August 20, 2013.