Debuting this week at the 2015 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, the experimental SuperTruck achieves a 115-percent improvement in fuel efficiency over a stock 2009 model.
That far exceeds the goal of the Department of Energy-backed SuperTruck program, which aimed for a comparatively smaller efficiency improvement of 50 percent.
Proposed Heavy-Duty Truck Standards: for 2018-2029
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
By Aminah Zaghab
Clean Cars Advocate
The EPA has proposed medium and heavy-duty truck efficiency standards for 2018-2029 that will increase fuel efficiency and cut pollution, and there is time to push for a stronger rule which would provide even more environmental and social benefits.
Medium and heavy-duty vehicles include everything from school buses to large pickups. They are only 5 percent of the vehicles on the road, but cause more than 20 percent of the transportation sector’s global warming pollution. [1] The EPA’s proposed rule requires reductions in fuel consumption and would lead to 1 billion metric tons less of global warming pollution, which is about how much energy it takes to power every home in the U.S. for a year. [2] This reduction can help prevent some of the worst impacts of global warming, including premature deaths. [3]
The rule not only helps prevent global warming effects but also saves society money. By reducing fuel consumption, vehicle owners save about $170 billion in overall fuel costs. Even large companies are on-board. Wabash National, Cummins Trucking, and PepsiCo, with a U.S. fleet of 35,000 vehicles, all support the rule. [4] The reductions save companies money, which in turn save consumers money because the vast majority of goods in the U.S. are transported by heavy-duty trucks. The EPA estimates the rule is equivalent to a $230 billion benefit to society. [2]
The rule is also internationally significant and yet another example of how the U.S is leading the charge to address global warming. President Obama and President Xi’s joint release last week mentioned heavy-duty vehicle standards. [5] Countries including Brazil, Europe, India, Mexico, and South Korea are all debating standards and will likely look to the U.S. standard in setting their own. This means a stronger U.S. standard likely leads to a stronger global standard. [6]
The science [and experience, see Daimler’s Supertruck below] says we should implement a stronger standard sooner than the EPA proposes. [7] If we push for more fuel efficiency and emissions reductions we can amplify the many benefits of the proposed rule, preventing an additional 40 million metric tons of global warming emissions annually. [7]
from www.environmentamerica.org/blogs/environment-america-blog/ame/big-step-big-trucks
July 2015
Commercial trucks could use less fuel and save billions $$
The Obama administration has proposed new rules governing the fuel efficiency and carbon emissions of tractor-trailers, delivery vans, and other medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The rules build on an earlier round of standards and impact new vehicles released in model years 2018-2029.
If finalized, the standards would cut oil use by over a million barrels every two days. By not burning that oil, the United States would, over the lifetime of trucks affected by the rule, avoid 1 billion metric tons of global warming emissions. That’s roughly equivalent to the emissions created by powering all U.S. households for a year.
While strong, the administration’s proposal could still be improved. Stronger standards would require a 40 percent reduction in fuel consumption by 2025—a technically feasible and cost-effective target that, when compared to the current proposal, saves more fuel, sooner.
New rules would help trucks save millions of barrels of oil—but more can be done.
from www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/fuel-efficiency/proposed-truck-standards
Daimler Unveils SuperTruck; 12-MPG Semi Is More Than Twice As Fuel-Efficient
Heavy-duty trucks make up a fairly small percentage of the traffic on U.S. roads, but they cover many more miles each year than the average passenger car–with much worse fuel economy.
Even small efficiency improvements for the biggest trucks can have a major impact on overall emissions, and perhaps lower the cost of the goods they transport as well.
In that context, the Daimler Trucks North America “SuperTruck” is definitely worthy of its name.
Debuting this week at the 2015 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, the experimental SuperTruck achieves a 115-percent improvement in fuel efficiency over a stock 2009 model.
That far exceeds the goal of the Department of Energy-backed SuperTruck program, which aimed for a comparatively smaller efficiency improvement of 50 percent.
Daimler received a $40 million Federal grant to develop and test the Freightliner-badged SuperTruck.
The improvements were confirmed by highway test drives in Oregon and Texas, city driving in Portland, Oregon, and laboratory tests at Daimler’s Detroit engineering facility.
During the 312-mile Texas highway drive, the truck averaged 12.2 mpg while cruising with a gross weight of 65,000 pounds at an average 65 mph between San Antonio and Dallas.
The truck also features a version of Freightliner’s Intelligent Powertrain Management system, which uses digital maps to time shifting for maximum efficiency.
Elements not available on current trucks include low rolling resistance tires and electric appliances.
Daimler claims certain Federal regulations prevent putting the truck into production as is.
The company was one of three truck manufacturers awarded grants as part of the SuperTruck program. Another vehicle built by Cummins and Peterbilt achieved 9.9 mpg under similar testing conditions.
And there have been other radical truck concepts in recent years, including AirFlow’s BulletTruck and the WAVE concept from retail giant–and massive truck-fleet owner–Walmart.
All of this interest stems from operators looking to save money, and manufacturers looking to stay abreast of new fuel-economy standards.
Current Federal regulations require heavy-duty trucks to achieve a 10- to 20-percent increase in fuel efficiency by 2018.
President Barack Obama has also asked regulators to draft new rules mandating additional improvements between 2019 and 2025–matching the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules for passenger cars, which also run through 2025.