Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Energy efficiency technologies for road vehicles

  • Published:
Energy Efficiency Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A key message of the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is that improved energy efficiency is one of society’s most important instruments for combating climate change. This article reviews a range of energy efficiency measures in the transportation sector as discussed in AR4 and assess their potentials for improving fuel efficiency. The primary focus is on light-duty vehicles because they represent the largest portion of world transport energy use and carbon dioxide emissions; freight trucks, a rapidly expanding source of greenhouse emissions, are also discussed. Increasing energy efficiency can be achieved by improving the design and technology used in new vehicles, but vehicle technology is only one component of fleet fuel economy. Measures that create strong incentives for customers to take energy efficiency into consideration when buying and operating their vehicles will be crucial to policy success.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. These are called Kei-cars in Japan and are the smallest category of vehicles. Their engine size is less than 660 cc and a lower tax rate is applied than for ordinary passenger cars.

  2. Twenty-first Century Truck Technical. Goals. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/about/partnerships/21centurytruck/21ct_goals.html

  3. http://www.ieahev.org/evs_hevs_count.html

  4. http://www.cleangreencar.co.nz/page/prius-history

  5. http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest/pdfs/38843.pdf

  6. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2004/10/fedex_hybrid_up.html

  7. McCallen et al., 2004. DOE’s Effort to Reduce Truck Aerodynamic Drag-Joint Experiments and Computations Lead to Smart Design. UCRL-CONF-204819, LLNL. <http://www.llnl.gov/tid/lof/documents/pdf/308799.pdf>

  8. http://www.jhfc.jp/data/seminar_report/04/pdf/06_h17seminar_e.pdf

  9. Sanyo On-line catalog, <http://www.sanyo.co.jp/energy/english/product/lithiumion_2.html>

  10. Yuasa, 2000: Press release 2000.4.20—Development of high capacity Li batteries with Mn type cathode (in Japanese). <http://www.gs-yuasa.com/jp/news/ycj/topick/top20000420.html>

  11. Power System, 2005: Press release 2005.6.27. Development of High Power and High Energy Density Capacitor (in Japanese). <http://www.powersystems.co.jp/pdf/20050627nscreleaser1-1.pdf>

  12. http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ir/ir-data/data/107.pdf

  13. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml

  14. EcoDriving USA http://www.ecodrivingusa.com/#/ecodriving-practices/, ACEA http://www.acea.be/index.php/collection/eco_driving_background/, JAMA http://www.jama.or.jp/user/eco_drive/index.html

References

  • Bandivadekar, A. et al. (2008). On the Road in 2035: Reducing Transportation’s Petroleum Consumption and GHG Emissions. MIT LFEE 2008-05.

  • Bodek, K., & Heywood, J. (2008). Europe’s Evolving Passenger Vehicle Fleet: Fuel Use and GHG Emissions Scenarios through 2035. MIT LFEE 2008-03.

  • Cheah, L. et al. (2007). Factor of Two: Halving the Fuel Consumption of New US Automobiles by 2035. MIT LFEE 2007-04.

  • Duleep, K. G. (2008). Automotive Technology for Better Fuel Efficiency. EEA-ICF 2008 Symposium.

  • ECMT/IEA. (2005). Making cars more fuel efficient; Technology for real improvements on the road. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • EDMC (Energy Data and Modeling Center). (2007). Handbook of Energy & Economics in Japan. Tokyo: Energy Conservation Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency). (2008). Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2007. http://epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm#report

  • EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) (2001). Comparing the Benefits and Impacts of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Options. Report 1000349. Palo Alto: EPRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • EUCAR/CONCAWE/JRC. (2006). Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Future Automotive Fuels and Powertrains in the European Context.

  • GM/LBST. (2002). "Well-to-Wheel Analysis of Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Advanced Fuel/Vehicle Systems—a European Study"

  • GM/ANL. (2005). Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Advanced Fuel/Vehicle Systems-A North American Study of Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Criteria Pollutant Emissions.

  • Helms, H., & Lambrecht, U. (2006). The potential contribution of light-weighting to reduce transport energy consumption. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. <doi:10.1065/lca2006.07.258>.

  • Heywood, J. B., & Weiss, M. A. (2003). The Performance of Future ICE and Fuel Cell Powered Vehicles and Their Potential Fleet Impact. LFEE2003-004 (2003). MIT.

  • HM Treasury (2007). The King Review of Low-carbon Cars. London: HM Treasury.

  • IEA. (2006a). Energy Balances of Non-OECD Countries, 2003-2004. Paris: IEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • IEA. (2006b). CO 2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion 1971-2004. Paris: IEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • IEA. (2008). Energy Technology Perspectives 2008. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC. (2007). Chapter 5 Transport and its Infrastructure. In B. Metz, O.R. Davidson, P.R. Bosch, R. Dave, & L.A. Meyer (Eds.), Climate Change 2007: Mitigation, the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • JHFC (Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project) (2006). JHFC Well-to-Wheel Efficiency Analysis Results. Tsukuba: JARI.

    Google Scholar 

  • JRC/IPTS. (2004). Potential for Hydrogen as a Fuel for Transport in the Long Term (2020-2030)—Full Background Report.

  • Kromer, M.A. and Heywood, J. B. (2008). A Comparative Assessment of Electric Propulsion Systems in the 2030 US Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet. SAE 2008-01-0459

  • MLIT (Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism). (2007). Annual Motor Vehicle Transport Statistics. Tokyo: MLIT

  • Nippon Steel. (2002). Advanced Technology of Nippon Steel Contributes to ULSAB-AVC Program. Nippon Steel News, 295(September).

  • NRC/NAE. (2004). The Hydrogen Economy. Washington D. C: National Academy.

    Google Scholar 

  • ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratories) (2008). Transportation Energy Data Book. Oak Ridge: ORNL.

    Google Scholar 

  • OTA (Office of Technology Assessment). (1995). Advanced Automotive Technology: Visions of a Super-Efficient Family Car. OTA-ETI-638. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schipper, L. (2007). Automobile Fuel; Economy and CO2 Emissions in Industrialized Countries: Troubling Trends through 2005/6, http://pdf.wri.org/automobile-fuel-economy-co2-industrialized-countries.pdf

  • Vyas, A., Saricks, C., & Stodolsky, F. (2002). The Potential Effect of Future Energy-Efficiency and Emissions-Improving Technologies on Fuel Consumption of Heavy Trucks. ANL/ESD/02-4. Argonne National Laboratory.

  • WBSCD. (2004). Mobility 2030: Meeting the Challenges to Sustainability. <http://www.wbcsd.ch/>

  • Weiss, M. A., Heywood, J. B., Schafer, A., & Natarajan, V. K. (2003). Comparative Assessment of Fuel Cell Cars. MIT LFEE 2003-001.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Toyota Central R&D Laboratories., Inc., Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1192, Japan

    Shigeki Kobayashi

  2. Argonne National Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA

    Steven Plotkin

  3. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Suzana Kahn Ribeiro

Authors
  1. Shigeki Kobayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven Plotkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Suzana Kahn Ribeiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shigeki Kobayashi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kobayashi, S., Plotkin, S. & Ribeiro, S.K. Energy efficiency technologies for road vehicles. Energy Efficiency 2, 125–137 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-008-9037-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-008-9037-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation