USC - Definitions

View all text of Subchapter I [§ 13211 - § 13220]

§ 13211. DefinitionsFor purposes of this subchapter, subchapter II, and subchapter III (unless otherwise specified)—

(1) the term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

(2) the term “alternative fuel” means methanol, denatured ethanol, and other alcohols; mixtures containing 85 percent or more (or such other percentage, but not less than 70 percent, as determined by the Secretary, by rule, to provide for requirements relating to cold start, safety, or vehicle functions) by volume of methanol, denatured ethanol, and other alcohols with gasoline or other fuels; natural gas, including liquid fuels domestically produced from natural gas; liquefied petroleum gas; hydrogen; coal-derived liquid fuels; fuels (other than alcohol) derived from biological materials; electricity (including electricity from solar energy); and any other fuel the Secretary determines, by rule, is substantially not petroleum and would yield substantial energy security benefits and substantial environmental benefits;

(3)Alternative fueled vehicle.—

(A)In general.—The term “alternative fueled vehicle” means a dedicated vehicle or a dual fueled vehicle;

(B)Inclusions.—The term “alternative fueled vehicle” includes—

(i) a new qualified fuel cell motor vehicle (as defined in section 30B(b)(3) of title 26);

(ii) a new advanced lean burn technology motor vehicle (as defined in section 30B(c)(3) of that title);

(iii) a new qualified hybrid motor vehicle (as defined in section 30B(d)(3) of that title); and

(iv) any other type of vehicle that the Administrator demonstrates to the Secretary would achieve a significant reduction in petroleum consumption.1

1 So in original. The period probably should be a semicolon.

(4) the term “comparable conventionally fueled motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle which is, as determined by the Secretary—

(A) commercially available at the time the comparability of the vehicle is being assessed;

(B) powered by an internal combustion engine that utilizes gasoline or diesel fuel as its fuel source; and

(C) provides passenger capacity or payload capacity the same or similar to the alternative fueled vehicle to which it is being compared;

(5) “covered person” means a person that owns, operates, leases, or otherwise controls—

(A) a fleet that contains at least 20 motor vehicles that are centrally fueled or capable of being centrally fueled, and are used primarily within a metropolitan statistical area or a consolidated metropolitan statistical area, as established by the Bureau of the Census, with a 1980 population of 250,000 or more; and

(B) at least 50 motor vehicles within the United States;

(6) the term “dedicated vehicle” means—

(A) a dedicated automobile, as such term is defined in section 32901(a)(7) 2

2 See References in Text note below.

of title 49; or

(B) a motor vehicle, other than an automobile, that operates solely on alternative fuel;

(7) the term “domestic” means derived from resources within the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, including the outer Continental Shelf, as such term is defined in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act [43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.], or from resources within a Nation with which there is in effect a free trade agreement requiring national treatment for trade;

(8) the term “dual fueled vehicle” means—

(A) dual fueled automobile, as such term is defined in section 32901(a)(8) 2 of title 49; or

(B) a motor vehicle, other than an automobile, that is capable of operating on alternative fuel and is capable of operating on gasoline or diesel fuel;

(9) the term “fleet” means a group of 20 or more light duty motor vehicles, used primarily in a metropolitan statistical area or consolidated metropolitan statistical area, as established by the Bureau of the Census, with a 1980 population of more than 250,000, that are centrally fueled or capable of being centrally fueled and are owned, operated, leased, or otherwise controlled by a governmental entity or other person who owns, operates, leases, or otherwise controls 50 or more such vehicles, by any person who controls such person, by any person controlled by such person, and by any person under common control with such person, except that such term does not include—

(A) motor vehicles held for lease or rental to the general public;

(B) motor vehicles held for sale by motor vehicle dealers, including demonstration motor vehicles;

(D) law enforcement motor vehicles;

(E) emergency motor vehicles, including vehicles directly used in the emergency repair of transmission lines and in the restoration of electricity service following power outages, as determined by the Secretary;

(F) motor vehicles acquired and used for military purposes that the Secretary of Defense has certified to the Secretary must be exempt for national security reasons;

(G) nonroad vehicles, including farm and construction motor vehicles; or

(H) motor vehicles which under normal operations are garaged at personal residences at night;

(10) the term “fuel supplier” means—

(A) any person engaged in the importing, refining, or processing of crude oil to produce motor fuel;

(B) any person engaged in the importation, production, storage, transportation, distribution, or sale of motor fuel; and

(11) the term “light duty motor vehicle” means a light duty truck or light duty vehicle, as such terms are defined under section 7550(7) of this title, of less than or equal to 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight rating;

(12) the term “motor fuel” means any substance suitable as a fuel for a motor vehicle;

(13) the term “motor vehicle” has the meaning given such term under section 7550(2) of this title; and

(14) the term “replacement fuel” means the portion of any motor fuel that is methanol, ethanol, or other alcohols, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, coal derived liquid fuels, fuels (other than alcohol) derived from biological materials, electricity (including electricity from solar energy), ethers, or any other fuel the Secretary determines, by rule, is substantially not petroleum and would yield substantial energy security benefits and substantial environmental benefits.

(Pub. L. 102–486, title III, § 301, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2866; Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 122], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–229; Pub. L. 109–58, title VII, § 707, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 818; Pub. L. 110–181, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2862, Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 559.)