Reducing the Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gas

Emissions of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles,

Phase Two, First Report
Board on Energy and Environmental Systems ∙ Division on Engineering & Physical Sciences
Transportation Research Board ∙ April 2014

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) such as tractor-

trailers, coaches, transit buses and vocational vehicles (e.g.,
refuse haulers) are used in every sector of the economy. The fuel
consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of MHDVs
have become a focus of legislative and regulatory action in the past
few years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
regulate on-road MHDVs to reduce GHG emissions and improve
fuel-efficiency. This report provides guidance to NHTSA as it
develops a second round (Phase II) of fuel consumption and GHG
emission standards for MHDVs. The report’s recommendations
address the regulation of natural gas vehicles, trailers, and tires,
and vehicle certification using modeling and simulation, among
other topics.

Background Technologies for Reducing Fuel

This report is a follow-on to the National Research Consumption of Gasoline- and
Council’s (NRC’s) 2010 ‘Phase I report’— Diesel-Fueled Vehicles
Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Regarding the potential for technological change
Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles— in the 2019-2022 time frame, the report does
which addressed the development of regulations for not identify any new combustion or other engine
reducing fuel consumption of MHDVs. The findings technologies beyond those identified in the NRC’s
and recommendations outlined in the ‘Phase I 2010 Phase I Report that would provide significant
Report’ were taken into account in the ‘Phase I further fuel consumption reduction during the time
Rule’ jointly published by NHTSA and EPA in 2011 frame of the Phase II Rule. However, NHTSA’s
which established a comprehensive Heavy-Duty Phase II Rule should take the current and projected
National Program to reduce GHG emissions and incremental fuel consumption reductions and
fuel consumption for on-road MHDVs. NHTSA penetration rates of existing technologies into careful
and EPA have since started work on a second round consideration; these incremental reductions and
(Phase II) of fuel consumption and GHG emission penetration rates should be updated from what was
standards for MHDVs, which is directed at the post- projected in the Phase I Rulemaking. Furthermore,
2018 timeframe. To provide guidance on the Phase the report recommends that, whenever combinations
II Rule, the committee has issued this first report. of technologies are considered, interactions between
The committee will issue a final report in 2016, those technologies should be evaluated for the effect
which will cover a broader range of technologies and on the projected incremental reductions.
issues and will address the 2025-2030 timeframe.
Natural Gas Vehicles Citing the possibility of rapid growth of natural gas
MHDVs, the report notes the urgency to develop an
Currently, natural gas engines are well developed although optimum solution in Phase II Rule standards for natural
improvements can be pursued in engine efficiency, gas GHG emissions and fuel consumption that will
maintenance costs, and onboard vehicle storage costs. Due accommodate natural gas without artificially disrupting
to its low carbon content, the greenhouse gas emissions prevailing commercial transportation business models.
of natural gas are lower than for gasoline or diesel fuel,
but this benefit is partially negated by lower efficiency in To benefit fully from the GHG reduction and petroleum
currently available engines and the higher GHG impact displacement potential of natural gas, government and
of methane—the main component of unburned natural the private sector should support further technical
gas. The GHG impact of methane leakage during gas improvements in engine efficiency and operating costs,
extraction or other parts of the life cycle could negate the reduction of storage costs, and emission controls. NHTSA
inherent tailpipe CO2 advantage of natural gas. and EPA should also evaluate the need for, benefits of, and
costs of an in-use natural gas fuel specification for motor
In light of these tradeoffs, the report recommends that vehicle use.
NHSTA and EPA develop a separate standard for natural
gas vehicles to complement those standards already issued
for diesel-fueled and gasoline-fueled vehicles. In setting Regulating Trailers
this standard, the agencies should consider the following Use of aerodynamic devices on trailers, in particular
factors: the maximum feasible capability of natural gas side skirts, to reduce aerodynamic drag can reduce fuel
engines to achieve reductions in GHG emissions and fuel consumption at highway speed. Yet the majority of both
consumption, the uncertainties involved with the various new and in-use van trailers do not use these fuel saving
engine and storage configurations that use natural gas, the devices. When a trailer is not owned by the tractor owner/
impact of duty cycles on the ability to comply with the operator (who pays for fuel), there is no incentive for the
vehicle standards, the cost of natural gas vehicle technology, trailer owner to purchase fuel-saving devices.
and the rapid growth of the market for natural gas engines
and vehicles. This may require additional focused studies. The report recommends that NHTSA adopt a regulation
requiring that all new, 53-foot and longer dry van and
More studies and data are also needed to determine the well- refrigerated van trailers meet performance standards that
to-tank GHG emissions of natural gas vehicles, because will reduce their impact on fuel consumption and CO2
extraction and leakage emissions of methane are not well emissions. The agencies should also collect actual operating
quantified. NHTSA, in coordination with EPA, should data on fleet use of aerodynamic trailers to help inform
assemble a best estimate of well-to-tank GHG emissions the regulation. The report also suggests steps to develop an
to be used as a context for long-term rulemakings beyond optimum full-vehicle test procedure.
Phase II.

FIGURE: Tractor-trailer combination truck illustrating regions of potential fuel

consumption reduction. Source: NRC, 2010.
Additionally, the report recommends the agencies The report urges NHTSA to investigate allowing the
determine whether it is practical and cost effective to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) the option
regulate other types of trailers such as pups, flatbeds, and to substitute OEM-specific models or code for the fixed
container carriers, as doing so could substantially increase models in the current GEM, including substituting a
overall fuel savings. powerpack (engine, aftertreatment, and transmission).
These models, whether provided by OEMs or fixed in the
code, should be configured to accurately reflect actual
Tires operation.
Low rolling resistance tires can reduce fuel consumption
and emissions. Many new tractors and most new trailers In addition, the report notes that GEM employs a limited
are equipped with low rolling resistance tires, and set of cycles to challenge the simulated truck and these do
manufacturers have also introduced wide base single tires, not include actual road grades. Being speed-time based,
which feature lower rolling resistance than dual tire sets. these cycles also do not allow for the faster acceleration
of more powerful trucks, or the longer time potentially
The report recommends that NHTSA further evaluate taken by less powerful trucks, to complete some actual
and quantify the rolling resistance of new tires, especially routes. The report recommends reassessing the choice
those sold as replacements. If additional, cost-effective fuel of test cycles/routes or schedules used in GEM to avoid
savings can be achieved, NHTSA should adopt a regulation creating designs that are optimized for the test rather than
establishing a low rolling resistance performance standard addressing actual performance in the design process.
for all new tires designed for tractor and trailer use.

Furthermore, the report urges NHTSA to expeditiously

Regulatory Processes
establish and validate the equipment and process of a The report also makes several observations about the
tire industry laboratory. NHTSA should mandate the current regulatory processes of NHTSA and EPA.
use of that laboratory by each tire manufacturer seeking Currently, the agencies’ standards consider fuel efficiency
validation of tire rolling resistance coefficients for any tires of the vehicle and tailpipe CO2 emissions that need to
being offered as candidates in the certification process, just be achieved, on average, by the mix of vehicles sold each
as light duty vehicle tires were validated. year by each manufacturer. Manufacturers are likely to
achieve these vehicle standards using a variety of different
energy fuels and technologies. The report recommends
Vehicle Certification Using Modeling that NHTSA, in coordination with EPA, should begin to
and Simulation consider the well-to-wheel life-cycle energy consumption
The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model (GEM) was and greenhouse emissions associated with different vehicle
developed for NHTSA’s and EPA’s Phase I Rule as a and energy technologies to ensure future rulemakings
simplified method for determining the effects of the best accomplish their overall goals. NHTSA should also
vehicle (rather than the engine) on fuel consumption and conduct an analysis to anticipate and analyze potential
GHG emissions. It is used for vehicle certification of Class unintended consequences of its regulations.
4 through Class 8 MHDVs. (Lighter vehicles may be
certified using a chassis dynamometer.) A further issue of importance is the need to collect
vehicle data that would permit regulators to evaluate the
The report notes that GEM could be improved to consider efficacy of and improve the accuracy of current and future
synergy between components, the operation or control regulations. NHTSA has begun the process of designing
of components in a most efficient way, and the operation surveys and seeking the necessary approvals to allow it to
of a smaller component at higher relative load to increase assemble a picture of the MHDVs fleet characteristics.
efficiency. A further area for refinement is to consider The report recommends that NHTSA should establish a
generic performance maps contained in GEM for major repeatable, reliable survey process to collect private fleet
components including the engine and transmission, which data as soon as possible.
do not credit the vehicle manufacturer with the benefits of
using a potentially superior engine or transmission.
Committee on Assessment of Technologies and Approaches for Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and
Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Phase Two: Andrew Brown, Jr., NAE, Delphi Corporation, Chair; Ines Azevedo, Carnegie Mellon
University; Rodica Baranescu, NAE, University of Illinois-Chicago; Tom Cackette, California Air Resources Board
(retired); Nigel Clark, West Virginia University; Ronald Graves, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Daniel Hancock, NAE,
General Motors (retired); W. Michael Hanemann, NAS, Arizona State University; Winston Harrington, Resources for the
Future; Gary Marchant, Arizona State University; Paul Menig, Tech-I-M, Sherwood; David Merrion, Merrion Expert
Consulting; Amelia Regan, University of California, Irvine; Mike Roeth, North American Council for Freight Efficiency;
Gary Rogers, independent consultant; Chuck Salter, independent consultant; Christine Vujovich, Cummins, Inc. (retired);
John Woodrooffe, University of Michigan; Martin Zimmerman, University of Michigan
Staff: Martin Offutt, Senior Program Officer, Study Director; James Zucchetto, Director, Board On Energy And
Environmental Systems; Alan Crane, Senior Scientist; E. Jonathan Yanger, Research Associate; LaNita Jones, Administrative
Coordinator; Dana Caines, Financial Manager; Joseph Morris, Senior Program Officer, Transportation Research Board
This study was supported by a contract between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of
Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations
expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies
that provided support for the project, or the National Research Council.
Copies of this report are available free of charge from http://www.nap.edu.
Report issued April 2014. Permission granted to reproduce this brief in its entirety with no additions or alterations.
Permission for images/figures must be obtained from their original source.
© 2014 The National Academy of Sciences