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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12845.
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A
Statement of Task

The committee will conduct an assessment of fuel economy technologies for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. According to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Section 108, the study is to develop a report evaluating medium-duty and heavy-duty truck fuel economy standards. Based on the language in Section 108, the NRC committee formed to carry out this study will address the following tasks, all of which will be discussed with the DOT/NHTSA representatives, as well as any relevant Congressional staff, at the committee’s first meeting. The purpose of these discussions will bring the benefit of the expertise of the committee to bear on what information and data could be made available to the committee, which will determine the extent to which the tasks can be addressed. Thus, the committee will:

  1. consider appropriate approaches to measuring fuel economy for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles that would be required for setting standards. Given the diversity of vehicles and applications, consideration of classification of vehicles will likely be required in this review. In addition, the committee will likely have to work with DOT/NHTSA, EPA, and others, as appropriate, to identify a reasonable approach, which would then lay the basis for what technologies to consider for potential improved fuel economy.

  2. assess current and potential technologies and estimate improvements in fuel economy for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks that might be achieved. The committee will need to decide on what time frame is appropriate to consider for the technology assessment. In addition, the committee should try to estimate the costs of technologies for fuel economy improvements. Costs may be difficult to estimate given the proprietary nature of the business and an approach may need to be worked out with NHTSA/DOT and the industry to collect information that would provide the committee with enough confidence in estimating a range of costs.

  3. an analysis of how the technologies identified in Task 2 above may be used practically to improve medium-duty and heavy-duty truck fuel economy. This will likely entail a discussion by the committee of barriers, time frames, competitive pressures, and other factors that may inhibit or accelerate the adoption of technologies for improved fuel economy.

  4. an analysis of how such technologies may be practically integrated into the medium-duty and heavy-duty truck manufacturing process. Again, the committee will likely identify barriers, timing, competitive pressures, and other factors that may inhibit or accelerate the practical implementation into the manufacturing of the various vehicles under consideration.

  5. an assessment of how such technologies may be used to meet fuel economy standards to be prescribed under section 32902(k) of title 49, United States Code, as amended by this subtitle.

  6. identify the potential costs and other impacts on the operation of medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks. For those technologies that can be integrated into the design of engines, vehicles, and trailers, it is likely that the committee would focus on any incremental costs and whether there are any special requirements for these technologies that might affect operation of such vehicles. The language in Section 108 refers to “congestion” as well, and this may be an issue for those systems engineering technologies, for example, integrated intelligence systems that may provide the opportunity to control traffic flow. It is anticipated that the committee would review any studies conducted on this subject to address this congestion issue.

  7. write a report documenting its conclusions and recommendations.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12845.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12845.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12845.
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Page 200
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Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles evaluates various technologies and methods that could improve the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, transit buses, and work trucks. The book also recommends approaches that federal agencies could use to regulate these vehicles' fuel consumption. Currently there are no fuel consumption standards for such vehicles, which account for about 26 percent of the transportation fuel used in the U.S.

The miles-per-gallon measure used to regulate the fuel economy of passenger cars. is not appropriate for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which are designed above all to carry loads efficiently. Instead, any regulation of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles should use a metric that reflects the efficiency with which a vehicle moves goods or passengers, such as gallons per ton-mile, a unit that reflects the amount of fuel a vehicle would use to carry a ton of goods one mile. This is called load-specific fuel consumption (LSFC).

The book estimates the improvements that various technologies could achieve over the next decade in seven vehicle types. For example, using advanced diesel engines in tractor-trailers could lower their fuel consumption by up to 20 percent by 2020, and improved aerodynamics could yield an 11 percent reduction. Hybrid powertrains could lower the fuel consumption of vehicles that stop frequently, such as garbage trucks and transit buses, by as much 35 percent in the same time frame.

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