A report on the Fuel Consumption in Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles by the The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has recently been released. Faculty Director Gary Marchant co-authored this report discussing how the regulation of natural gas vehicles and trailer modifications can be a strategy to reduce fuel consumption in medium and heavy-duty vehicles.
This report follows a 2010 Research Council report whose findings and recommendations helped shape the “Phase I Rule” issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Since the introduction of the Phase I Rule, the emergence of natural gas as a transportation fuel is significant. The low carbon content, the greenhouse gas emissions of natural gas are lower than for gasoline or diesel fuel. This benefit is somewhat negated, though, by the lower efficiency in engines currently available and could be offset by methane increasing greenhouse gas effects. Natural gas fueling infrastructure is also undeveloped and will require large investments to prevent disruption in routes and travel times for long-haul trucks.
There are, however, a number of strategies that do not involve changes to the engine or vehicle and are also available for reducing fuel consumption. Changes to fleet operations and logistics, innovations in infrastructure, traffic management as well as driver training and behavioral initiatives could help reduce consumption.
Find the report here.