ETI Insights Report - Land Based Heavy Duty Vehicle Efficiency at the ETI

Abstract:

In 2010, the ETI started a programme of work to investigate how to tackle the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of the HDV sector in the UK. The purpose of this insight report is to provide a narrative for both the programme approach and the high-level outcomes. The ETI has conducted a programme, unique in its breadth and depth, that attempts to deliver a meaningful impact in the fuel efficiency of the HDV fleet in the UK. The ETI hopes that the programme has the following long-term impacts: It will continue to influence the powertrain strategy of Caterpillar, the world’s largest off-highway equipment manufacturer. It shows the fuel efficiency gains that can be achieved across a range of vehicle types and that these gains can be financed by the fuel savings. In some instances, the payback period is acceptable to the first purchaser and, in those instances where they are not, the payback period is within the economic life of the vehicle. The results achieved suggest that the 2025 EU HGV GHG reduction target is feasible, thus supporting the stringency of this target. That more publicly available research is conducted on HGV movements and payloads to enable better research, technology developments and policies going forward (the ETI’s support for the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight is an example of this). That the work shows the challenge of delivering double digit powertrain fuel savings on HGVs as their powertrains are already well optimised for the motorway use that they often see. Thus, accelerating the implementation of lower carbon fuels or energy carriers as the only practical way of delivering significant (i.e. in excess of 15%) GHG reductions in the mid to longer term.

Publication Year:

2019

Publisher:

ETI

DOI:

No DOI minted

Author(s):

Thorne, C.