DOE Gives $187 Million to Improve Large Vehicle Fuel Efficiency
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Jan. 11 that $187 million in federal funding will be given to support nine research and demonstration funding projects aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of tractor trailers and other vehicles. Total spending on the research is expected to be $357 million when factoring in private costs. The research is estimated to save more than $100 million of gasoline and fuel consumption per day and reduce on-road vehicle carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2030.
Of the $187 million, $115 is to be used to develop fuel-efficiency technologies for tractor trailers in excess of 33,001 pounds (Class 8 trucks). Goals include improving aerodynamics; increasing efficiency through improved waste heat recovery techniques; developing advanced combustion techniques; and discovering technologies that reduce engine idling. The remaining funds will be used to improve fuel efficiency in passenger vehicles. These improvements are expected to utilize an "engine-only approach" to increase fuel efficiency by 25 to 40 percent by 2015.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation sector is responsible for roughly 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. Medium- and heavy-duty trucks account for 22 percent of that figure.