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Reference Number ETI-TRANS-1
Title Heavy Duty Vehicle - Efficiency
Status Completed
Energy Categories Energy Efficiency (Transport) 100%;
Research Types Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Project Contact
No email address given
Ricardo Consulting Engineers Ltd
Award Type Standard
Funding Source ETI
Start Date 01 October 2009
End Date 30 June 2010
Duration 9 months
Total Grant Value £300,000
Industrial Sectors Manufacturing
Region South East
Programme Transport
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Project Contact , Ricardo Consulting Engineers Ltd (99.998%)
  Other Investigator Project Contact , Caterpillar UK Ltd (0.001%)
Project Contact , Rolls-Royce PLC (0.001%)
Web Site
Objectives The UK heavy duty fleet (HDV), which includes HGVs, buses and coaches, ships and trains, currently consumes more than 13.5 billion litres of liquid fuel each year. This project identified the technology packages and assessed the carbon benefits case for them. The study analysed the UK’s HDV fleet and identified ways in which technological solutions could increase efficiencies and contribute to a reduction in liquid fuel consumption. The ability to combine individual technology developments into packages which can be implemented across a range of vehicles will be critical in enabling rapid, cost-effective reductions in CO2 emissions. We are now using these outputs to define and commission a large-scale technology development and demonstration programme.
Abstract

Extract from press release – dated 27 October 2009:

An extensive study to look at increasing efficiency and cutting emissions of heavy-duty vehicles (HDV) and off-road machines has been launched today (27 October) by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI). The ETI study will evaluate heavy-duty vehicles such as coaches, buses and mining vehicles, determine drive-cycles showing the types of UK usage patterns for each class of vehicle, identify the potential efficiency improvement technologies and evaluate the benefits case for each one. The project, which is expected to last nine months, will focus on the technologies which have the largest potential to reduce CO2 emissions.

The UK HDV fleet currently consumes more than 13.5 billion litres of liquid fuel each year and contributes 8.96% to overall UK carbon emissions. Significant CO2 reductions across the entire HDV fleet are therefore critical to achieving the overall UK target of an 80% reduction by 2050. The project, led by Ricardo and including Caterpillar and Rolls-Royce, will carry out a detailed analysis of the UK’s heavy-duty vehicle fleet and identify ways in which technological solutions can increase its efficiency and contribute to a reduction in liquid fuel consumption.

ETI Chief Executive Dr David Clarke said: “Carbon reduction from heavy-duty vehicles presents a significant challenge. Many of the current options to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles are not feasible for heavy duty applications. Due to the high energy usage, strategies such as electrification are unlikely to be successful, so the aim is to look at ways of increasing the efficiency of use of liquid fuels.Also, the vehicle types, applications and technologies to improve efficiency are diverse so it is difficult to find a single universal technological solution. This project will allow us to identify potential technological solutions to increasing efficiency and reducing liquid fuel consumption across the heavy-duty vehicle fleet.”

Neville Jackson, Director of Advanced Technology, Ricardo said: ”Fuel efficiency has always been the key product attribute for heavy-duty vehicles. Whilst Ricardo and our project partners have made significant progress in reducing fuel consumption, opportunities still exist to identify and develop further technologies that can enable heavy duty engines to make their contribution to reductions in carbon emissions. This study will focus on technologies that deliver benefits in real world applications and that can support the UK as a leader in low carbon products.”

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Added to Database 17/04/12