This paper assesses the potential for car and light truck fuel economy improvements by 2010-15. We examine a range of refinements to body systems and powertrain, reflecting current best practice as well as emerging technologies such as advanced engine and transmission, lightweight materials, integrated starter-generators, and hybrid drive. Engine options are restricted to those already known to meet upcoming California emissions standards. Our approach is to apply a state-of-art vehicle system simulation model to assess vehicle fuel economy gains and performance levels. We select a set of baseline vehicles representing five major classes - Small and Standard Cars, Pickup Trucks, SUVs and Minivans - and analyze design changes likely to be commercially viable within the coming decade. Results vary by vehicle type. A moderate package of conventional technology improvements yields fuel economy increases of 37% for a full-size pickup to 70% for a standard-performance midsize SUV, averaging 47% overall for a 5% increase in average vehicle price. Greater degrees of improvement are feasible at higher cost, with more than doubled fuel economy possible using full hybrid drive.
Assessing the Fuel Economy Potential of Light-Duty Vehicles
Sae Technical Papers
Future Transportation Technology Conference & Exposition ; 2001
2001-08-20
Conference paper
English
Assessing the fuel economy potential of light-duty vehicles
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