A Farewell to Fossil Fuels: Answering the Energy Challenge

In this article published in Foreign Affairs, Amory Lovins describes a U.S. transition from fossil fuels--a blueprint detailed in Reinventing Fire-- that requires pursuing transformational change in automotive efficiency, design of buildings and factories, and the electric system.

 

Reinventing Fire Transportation Sector Methodology

This document provides RMI's methodology for the analysis of the transportation sector in Reinventing Fire.

 

Preface to the Chinese Edition of Winning the Oil Endgame

In the preface to the Chinese edition to Winning the Oil Endgame, Amory Lovins puts the book in context for the Chinese audience. Winning the Oil Endgame offers a strategy for ending US oil dependence.

 

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.

 

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 fuel efficiency. 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 today using existing technologies that can be retrofitted onto almost any highway truck.

 

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.

 

Winning the Oil Endgame: Executive Summary

The Executive Summary of Winning the Oil Endgame briefly outlines RMI's strategic plan to end oil dependence by the 2040s.

 

Hypercars, Hydrogen, and the Automotive Transition

Lightweighting is the key to making vehicles superefficient and safe. In this invited technical review paper in the International Journal of Vehicle Design, Amory Lovins and David Cramer explain why, using as an example Hypercar's 2000 virtual design of the Revolution 99-mpg SUV. The paper also shows how Hypercar's Fiberforge process promises to achieve that goal at competitive cost, and how this manufacturing breakthrough can accelerate an exciting new stage in automaking and the emergence of the hydrogen economy.

 

FreedomCAR, Hypercar, and Hydrogen

In 2002, Amory Lovins gave this presentation to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science. The presentation is focused on the the American automakers and the U.S. Department of Energy's FreedomCAR Program. He presents options that create energy efficient cars and airplanes, mostly through the use of lighter materials. He also presents options for a transition to hydrogen automobiles. Lovins suggests revising the goals of the FreedomCAR Program to make it more effective.

 

Design and Manufacture of an Affordable Advanced-Composite Automotive Body Structure

Reducing vehicle weight is critical to improving fuel economy and addressing range, performance, size, and cost challenges associated with fuel-cell and hybrid propulsion systems. This paper describes the design, fabrication, and assembly approach used for the carbon-fiber composite body structure in Hypercar, Inc.’s Revolution concept vehicle. The Revolution’s 187-kg body structure is 57% lighter than a conventional steel body structure of the same size, while providing superior crash protection, improved stiffness, and favorable thermal and acoustic properties. The design balances several competing requirements, including surface finish, reparability, crash performance, weight, packaging constraints, and cost. A large part of the Revolution’s body structure is an advanced-composite passenger safety cell. Its design permits a novel high-volume manufacturing process under development by Hypercar. Applied together, the design and production method result in a lightweight, affordable advanced-composite body structure consistent with competitive vehicle cost at production volumes of 50,000 vehicles per year or greater. This paper describes the design and production method of the composite body, explains how the body is integrated with the rest of the vehicle, and analyzes the benefit of lightweighting on overall fuel-cell vehicle cost.

 

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