Triple Safety: Lightweighting Automobiles to Improve Occupant, Highway, and Global Safety

Automobilesʼ negative impact on human health and welfare includes traffic-related deaths and injuries as well as the deaths and injuries caused by automobilesʼ contribution to climate change and other global environmental degradation. This paper explores solutions that both enhance vehicle performance and reduce environmental impacts, and focuses on demonstrating the ability of lightweight vehicles to provide such a solution. Some controversy exists around the question of whether lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles can be as safe as traditional vehicles. Recent research reviewed in this paper indicates that several solutions exist that can both improve efficiency and thereby global safety, and maintain (or even improve) highway safety. SAE Paper 2008-01-1282 © 2008 SAE International. This paper is posted on this site with permission from SAE International. As a user of this site, you are permitted to view this paper on-line, and print one copy of this paper at no cost for your use only. This paper may not be copied, distributed or forwarded to others for further use without permission from SAE.

Transformational Trucks: Determining the Energy Efficiency Limits of a Class-8 Tractor Trailer

Feasible technological improvements in vehicle efficiency, combined with “long combination vehicles” (which raise productivity by connecting multiple trailers), can potentially raise the ton-mile efficiency of long-haul heavy tractor-trailers by a factor ~2.5 with respect to a baseline of 130 ton-miles/gal. Within existing technological and logistical constraints, these innovations (which do not include such further opportunities as hybrid-electric powertrains or auxiliary power units to displace idling) could thus cut the average fuel used to move each ton of freight by ~64 percent. This would annually save the current U.S. Class 8 fleet about four billion gallons of diesel fuel and 45 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Further benefits would include lower shipping costs, bigger profits for trucking companies, fewer tractor-trailers on the road, and fewer fatal accidents involving them. Thus transformational, not incremental, redesign of tractors, trailers, and (especially) both as in integrated system can broadly benefit economic prosperity, public health, energy security, and environmental quality.

Port Innovation Workshop Final Report

RMI worked with the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) to develop integrative solutions to reduce the emissions and energy use throughout port operations. This included cargo arriving in port on ships, cargo handling at the terminal, and cargo leaving the port via truck or rail. In January 2007, RMI convened an Innovation Workshop with almost 70 representatives from all facets of the shipping industry--the ports, labor unions, major shipping companies, terminal operators, electric utilities and others. More than 40 ideas for solutions were generated, from electrifying yard hostlers to developing a “Logistics Guru” for coordinating information and even suggesting new business models for drayage trucks. It’s worth noting that while some ideas are still being evaluated, others have already been adopted by the ports.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Environmentally Beneficial Load Building: Implications on California’s Revenue Adjustment Mechanism

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are poised to allow, for the first time, large-scale interaction between the transportation and electric utility sectors. Electricity is a more efficient vehicle fuel than are liquid fossil fuels, and it can reduce system-wide greenhouse-gas emissions by transferring energy demand and emissions from the transportation to the electric utility sector. Furthermore, PHEVs represent a new type of load for electric utilities that can ultimately result in increased utilization of renewable generation. Since PHEVs would be charged primarily at night when California’s wind resource is strong, PHEVs could further offset emissions by using power with a lower GHG emissions intensity than California’s average electricity mix. However, although PHEVs offer a way for reducing system-wide GHG emissions, mitigating utility rates, and possibly increasing revenues, these benefits cannot be fully realized under California’s existing regulatory structure. As the market penetration of PHEVs rises, so do electricity demand and GHG emissions from the electric utility sector. These trends conflict with regulatory requirements that require significant reductions in statewide GHG emissions and are designed to encourage energy efficiency. This tension creates an interesting problem for the electric utilities: what is the best way to reconcile the increase in electricity demand and subsequent increase in power-sector GHG emissions due to PHEV penetration in the utility sector under California’s regulatory structure? Here, we explore this issue and suggest policy and regulatory alternatives that the State could pursue to encourage electric utilities to invest in both end-use efficiency and PHEVs.

Feebates: a Legislative Option to Encourage Continuous Improvements to Automobile Efficiency

A feebate is an incentive policy that encourages the continuous improvement to automobile fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions by providing incentives for manufacturers to build more efficient vehicles and rewarding consumers who purchase more efficient vehicles. The feebate concept is simple in concept: inefficient vehicles receive a surcharge (FEE-), and efficient vehicles are granted a rebate (–BATE). The fees on the inefficient vehicles pay for the rebates on the efficient vehicles. Thus, the feebate has the potential to accelerate the production and adoption of more efficient vehicles, ultimately reducing the United States’ transportation fossil fuel consumption. The purpose of this paper is to provide information about feebates by discussing: what a feebate is, why RMI believes a feebate is a valuable tool, recent analysis that RMI had done on feebates, what the current status of the feebate is, and how the feebate could interact with existing laws. RMI previously analyzed feebates in its 2004 publication Winning the Oil Endgame, which provides a roadmap for weaning the United States of off oil by the 2040s. Since then, RMI has collaborated with researchers, industry and other non-governmental entities to determine what characteristics a feebate could have. Additionally, RMI built upon the 2004 analysis in this paper by conducting a static analysis on 2005 vehicle data to determine what impact certain attributes have on the feebate. Based on this collaboration and analysis, RMI has established recommendations for a fuel economy based feebate that seeks to increase the efficiency of all vehicles, regardless of size.

Profitable GHG Reduction Through Fuel Economy

This presentation outlines practical ways that Class-8 truck fleets can realize significant fuel savings and increased profits through efficiency techniques. Focusing on components that save fuel and providing case studies that have capitalized on these opportunities, RMI's researchers demonstrate how a 25% fuel economy improvement is possible using existing technologies that can be retrofitted onto almost any highway truck. Because trucking accounts for 19.4 percent of US transportation GHG emissions, the trucking industry has a significant impact on global climate change. However, cutting GHGs can present a business advantage because cutting emissions also leads to cut costs. It can also provide a marketing advantage to companies. Profitable strategies presented include aerodynamics and rolling resistance, tires, APU's, and hybrids. Fleet that have successfully utilized these changes are outlined to show that the potential profits are substantial. Other unexpected benefits are also available by applying whole-systems thinking to trucks.

Truck Efficiency and GHG Reduction Opportunities in the Canadian Truck Fleet

Fuel-efficiency devices such as retrofittable aerodynamic technologies, fuel-efficient tires, and auxiliary power units can effectively offset engine-efficiency losses resulting from the 2002 and 2007 Environment Canada and U.S. EPA emissions regulations, while reducing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions significantly. To identify which fuel-saving devices are most effective, consistent, clear involvement from government is critical. If the industry is to quickly and effectively improve its GHG emissions, government must play a leadership role, a technical role, and a financial role. This report discusses how truck operators can reduce the fuel use and GHG emissions of their vehicles. Beginning with an explanation of end-use efficiency, we outline the major end-use opportunities on highway trucks and then discuss the financial and environmental benefits of the efficiencies. Estimates show that if the entire Canadian fleet of 294,000 Class-8 trucks were to adopt a full package of energy-efficiency technologies, Canadian truck owners and operators would save 4.1 billion litres of fuel and reduce emissions by 11,500,000 tonnes of GHG each year. This is equivalent to taking 64,000 Class-8 trucks off the road or taking 2.6 million cars off the road.

Dust to Dust's Assumptions About the Prius and the Hummer

In 2007, CNW published a study called "Dust to Dust" in which they report the results of a life cycle analysis that compared the environmental impact of a Toyota Prius and a Hummer H3. The report claims that the Prius has a greater environmental impact than the H3. In response to this report, RMI authors performed a life cycle analysis using the widely-accepted GREET model established by Argonne National Laboratory. The results of the RMI analysis show that even in conditions favorable to the H3, the environmental impact of the Prius is still lower than that of the H3. This report describes the findings in detail.

Letter to NHTSA on Revised Light Truck CAFE Standards

This letter was written by Amory Lovins in 2005 and sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the letter, Lovins commends the NHTSA for their 2005 adoption of CAFE standards based on size rather than weight. Size-based standards incentivize manufacturers to use lighter materials that improve the efficiency of trucks. Lovins then describes new manufacturing technologies in light material that can improve the efficiency of vehicles even more. Lovins additionally recommends that the NHTSA adopt a system of feebates coupled with efficiency standards and CAFE standards. Lovins concludes by arguing that any modifications be be performance-based, not prescriptive; be at least neutral as to vehicle mass; if they do influence mass, favor its downward rather than upward harmonization; if fuel-economy choices are desired to be decoupled from vehicle-size-class choices, then do so by normalizing to size; be technology-neutral but preferably technology-forcing.

Legislative Options to Improve Transportation Efficiency

Traditional policy prescriptions for transportation efficiency have been largely misguided. With smarter legislation, the auto industry can restore competitiveness, boost profits, and displace oil use. The economic burden of high oil prices, concerns of supply and security, and environmental impact are justifiable reasons for state governments to act now. This report lays out several plans for state governments to pursue profitably. These plans include providing incentives to drivers of alternative fuel vehicles and hybrid vehicles, mandating state procurement of efficient vehicles, adopt a labeling program for low rolling resistance tires, requiring pay-at-the-pump insurance, and the establishment of a feebate program.