Reducing Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Phase Two

Medium- and heavy-duty trucks, motor coaches, and transit buses - collectively, "medium- and heavy-duty vehicles", or MHDVs - are used in every sector of the economy. The fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of MHDVs have become a focus of legislative and regulatory action in the past few years. This study is a follow-on to the National Research Council's 2010 report, Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium-and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. That report provided a series of findings and recommendations on the development of regulations for reducing fuel consumption of MHDVs.

On September 15, 2011, NHTSA and EPA finalized joint Phase I rules to establish a comprehensive Heavy-Duty National Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption for on-road medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. As NHTSA and EPA began working on a second round of standards, the National Academies issued another report, Reducing the Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Phase Two: First Report, providing recommendations for the Phase II standards. This third and final report focuses on a possible third phase of regulations to be promulgated by these agencies in the next decade.

Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Setting the Stage: Regulatory Horizons, Challenges, and Influences
• 3 Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement
• 4 Powertrain Technologies
• 5 Technologies for Reducing the Power Demand of MHDVs
• 6 Projected Benefits of Technologies on Fuel Consumption
• 7 Hybrid and Electric Powertrain Technologies
• 8 Battery Technology for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
• 9 Freight Operational Efficiency
• 10 Intelligent Transportation Systems and Automation
• 11 Manufacturing Considerations
• 12 Costs and Benefits
• 13 Alternative and Complementary Regulatory Approaches
• Appendix A: Committee Biographies
• Appendix B: Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
• Appendix C: Committee Activities
• Appendix D: Summary of Analysis of Engine and Vehicle Combinations
• Appendix E: Description of Drive Cycles Used for Compliance
• Appendix F: Summary of Committee's First Report: Reducing the Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Phase Two: First Report
• Appendix G: Acronyms and Abbreviations
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