IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING EMISSIONS IN ROAD TRANSPORT

According to the European Commission, in 2009 the transport sector contributed to approximately 19.5%
of all EU GHG emissions. Although it is tempting to read historic trends as showing that fuel demand and
CO2 emissions will continue to rise, in fact, IEA forecasts show the opposite - that the EU transportation
sector is nearing a peak in fuel demand, with current volumes flattening before a fall over the next two
decades until 2030. It is important not to overlook the positive effect new legislation has had on reversing
this historic trend and reducing GHG emissions by creating more efficient technologies and alternative
fuels.

More so, it is likely that road transportation’s fuel demand during this decrease period will be dominated by
liquid fuels coming from various primary energy sources—fossil fuels and biofuels—supplemented by the
use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and hydrogen and electric vehicles.

LIGHT WEIGHT VEHICLES

Over the past decades the road transportation sector has made significant advancements in technology.
Fuel efficiency in cars has improved by 22% since 1995, with the average new car in 2009 having a CO2
emission level of just 146 g. per kilometre. Even the internal combustion engine has gone through a major
transformation in recent decades.

In addition, the introduction of EU regulations on the CO2 emissions of cars in 2008 has had a powerful
effect on improving the efficiency of passenger cars sold in the EU. In 2010 there were already several mid-
sized cars on the market with Tank-to-Wheel emissions much lower than the 2012 fleet average
requirement of 120g/km. More so, due to lower fuel costs, any additional purchase costs on the vehicle
will be readily recovered within three years of the purchase, .

HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES

Minimising the operational costs is a fundamental consideration when designing heavy duty vehicles
(HDVs). With fuel constituting nearly 30% of the total operating cost, improved fuel efficiency is seeing a
critical increase in market demand. In fact, lifetime fuel savings can partly or, in some cases, fully
compensate higher upfront investments or may even over-compensate them. Manufacturers are already
trying to satisfy this increasing demand to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles, anticipating that the fuel
efficiency of HDVs may improve by up to 20% over the next decade.

The size of the global heavy duty transport sector will continue to expand, mainly due to freight growth, but
this will be compensated by improved overall efficiency and reduced truck sizes. On the other hand, many
of these improvements will be marginalized by such operating inefficiencies as traffic congestion and
restrictive legislation preventing optimum truck loading.

Low carbon technologies in hdvs can be grouped into three categories: design, powertrain
and fuel.

1. Vehicle design: Technology that affects the vehicle body, including wheels, chassis and trailer.

For HDVs, rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag represent the areas with the highest levels of energy
consumption and therefore are the primary targets for efficiency improvements. According to the analysis
conducted by the international transportation consultancy Ricardo, a 10% reduction in rolling resistance
will result in a 5.5% reduction in fuel consumption. Likewise, a 22% reduction in aerodynamic drag will
result in an 8.7% improvement in fuel consumption.

Truck manufacturers are actively developing new technology aimed at improving overall efficiency. For
example, to make trucks more aerodynamic fairings or aerodynamically shaped trailers are being added.
To lower rolling resistance, low resistance tyres and optimised pressure adjustment technologies are being

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used. The diagram provides examples of measures currently being taken to improve fuel efficiency, some
of which might turn out substantial fuel efficiency improvements.

2. Powertrain: Technologies that improve energy efficiency of the engine and transmission.

When it comes to the powertrain, improvements in thermal energy efficiency are the key. These types of
improvements could be achieved through a variety of options, such as reducing friction, recovering heat
from waste, optimising engine accessories and improving combustion systems. Additional measures could
include utilizing alternative drivetrains such as hybrids or electric motors. The diagram shows a selection of
possible powertrain technology options.

3. Fuel: Technology that replaces the dominant use of diesel with such low carbon fuels such biofuels,
CNG or LPG. .

Alternative, low carbon fuel options include biofuels, CNG, LPG, electricity and hydrogen.
So far, only first generation biofuels have provided any significant commercial solutions. The goal is to
increase the levels above the current standards of 7% FAME in diesel and 10% ethanol in gasoline.
However, to accomplish this, extensive R&D on fuel and engine technology to define the optimal
combination will be required.

The EU refining industry is actively working to develop advanced biofuels capable of providing increased
GHG savings. This new generation of biofuels will be the result of ground breaking conversion processes,
some of which allow refiners to operate with non-food sources like agricultural waste and inedible crops.

Despite their considerable potential, advanced biofuels are not expected to be produced in commercial
quantities before 2020. This is due to the technical constraints of scaling up complex new energy sources
to a level suitable for commercial success. Heavy investments, underpinned by appropriate government
policies, are also needed.

Non–technical measures

Beyond the technology improvements described above, non-technical measures can further reduce
commercial road transportation’s carbon emissions. For example, in some EU countries empty travel
averages up to 35% of all truck travel. Careful planning, load-matching programs and online freight
exchanges could, help address these issues. More liberal free trade measures across Member States
would also contribute to reducing empty truck travel. n optimized road infrastructure is another non-
technical measure for reducing CO2 levels in the freight sector as stop-start traffic can triple fuel
consumption and emissions in trucks.

Other possibilities to reduce GHG emissions in freight transportation include transferring long distance
freight to rail or water, as both tend to have lower emissions per Km than road transportation. More so, rail
offers a realistic route to electrifying freight transport which, when combined with short distance road
vehicles, may have the scope needed to reduce GHG emissions in an economically viable way.

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