Heavy truck fuel economy : a review of technologies and the potential for improvement..

Sachs, Harvey M. DeCicco, John M. Ledbetter, Marc R. Mengelberg, Ulrike.
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

1992

05011524

This paper reviews the technical potential for improving the fuel efficiency of heavy trucks in the U.S. through the implementation of currently available and near-commercial technologies. The study is restricted to Class 8 vehicles weighing more than 33,000 pounds loaded, with a focus on the combination tractor-trailers that account for most of the mileage by trucks in this subclass. The study is based on a literature review covering 1985 to 1990, supplemented by the relatively rich literature of the 1970's and early 1980's. Many fuel economy technologies introduced several years ago are now standard equipment on new trucks. These measures are included here to give a more complete picture. A tabulation summarizes our evaluation of 30 potencial improvements, and shows the calculated improvements and benefits (dollars invested per gallon saved) associated with each technology. Usinga projection o heavy truck VMT, the results can be used to construct a conservation supply curve for heavy trucks. Consideration of technology and operating changes possible by year 2000 suggests that maximal penetration of the available measures would leat to a new fleet fuel efficiency for diesel combination (tractor-trailer) trucks of at least 8.5 mpg, an 64 percent improvement from the 1982 baseline of 5.2 mpg. About 80 percent of the improvement would come from technology changes; the remainder from controlling vehicle speed. An additional 10 percent improvement might come from new engine technologies that could be commercialized over the next decade. Full realization of this potencial fuel economy improvment will take longer than a decade because of the relatively slow replacement rate of the heavy truck fleet..

Presenta gráfs., tbls. Con activo RECOPE O5011524

ESTADOS UNIDOS; AHORRO DE COMBUSTIBLE; VEHICULOS DE CARGA; ASPECTOS TECNOLOGICOS; NUEVA TECNOLOGIA; EFICIENCIA ENERGETICA; USO RACIONAL DE LA ENERGIA; SECTOR COMERCIAL; ANALISIS COSTO-BENEFICIO; CAMBIO TECNOLOGICO; DATOS ESTADISTICOS;