{"id":4541,"date":"2014-01-31T12:02:08","date_gmt":"2014-01-31T17:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=4541"},"modified":"2014-01-31T12:02:08","modified_gmt":"2014-01-31T17:02:08","slug":"new-truck-efficiency-standards-are-great-news-for-american-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2014\/01\/31\/new-truck-efficiency-standards-are-great-news-for-american-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"New Truck Efficiency Standards Are Great News for American Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’ve partnered with businesses, builders, and local communities to reduce the energy we consume.\u00a0When we rescued our automakers, for example, we worked with them to set higher fuel efficiency standards for our cars. In the coming months, <\/i>I’ll build on that success by setting new standards for our trucks, so we can keep driving down oil imports and what we pay at the pump.<\/p>\n

– 2014 State of the Union Address<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First, here\u2019s the bad news:<\/p>\n

Climate pollution from America\u2019s heavy trucks is projected to increase by more than 130 million tons<\/b> between now and 2040. That\u2019s expected to be the largest increase in emissions<\/a> from any single source.<\/p>\n

The average new heavy-duty diesel truck sold last year got slightly <\/b>less than six miles per gallon<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Most of these trucks travel upwards of 120,000 miles<\/strong> and burn more than $80,000 worth of fuel<\/strong> per year.<\/p>\n

This inefficiency has real costs for our economy. We import millions of barrels of oil to fuel heavy-duty trucks. Businesses, both small and large, spend billions on the fuel needed to move freight. You and I pay for this too, when we buy those products.<\/p>\n

Now here\u2019s the good news:<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t have to be this way. We have the tools today that we need to change this.<\/p>\n

We have the technology to decrease freight truck emissions. We can cut 20 percent<\/strong> off our current trajectories by 2030, and go much further by 2040.<\/p>\n

In fact, a recent analysis<\/a> by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy found that it\u2019s realistic to expect new trucks to achieve something approaching a 40 percent fuel consumption reduction<\/strong>, compared to 2010 trucks, within the next decade,<\/p>\n

Well-designed federal standards can foster the innovation necessary to bring more efficient and lower emitting trucks to market<\/a>. Manufacturers need to be confident in market demand in order to develop and launch efficiency improvements. Scaled production can drive down costs, further enhancing the payback truck fleets will experience through lower fuel bills.<\/p>\n

EDF has set out a blueprint for rigorous greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards<\/a>. Through smart, well designed policies and American innovation, we can cut climate pollution and save fuel costs while strengthening our security and winning the race to deploy clean energy technologies in the global marketplace.<\/p>\n

Many companies already have developed — and are bringing to market — the tools we need to meet a strong standard.<\/p>\n

Examples include:<\/p>\n

Eaton<\/b>, a manufacturer of truck transmissions — they\u2019ve launched a powertrain package that can improve fuel efficiency by up to six percent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cummins, Inc. <\/b>and Peterbilt Motors Co.<\/b>, which build truck engines and manufacture trucks, respectively \u2013 they partnered last year to build a truck that uses 50 percent less fuel than typical long-haul tractors, according to an article in the Indianapolis Star<\/a>. It averaged 9.9 miles a gallon in road tests. They did this through a suite of improvements; including capturing otherwise wasted thermal energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Smart Truck Systems<\/b>, a supplier of aerodynamic products to the trucking industry \u2013 they have a product that can cut fuel consumption<\/a> from tractor-trailer combination trucks by over 10 percent through advanced aerodynamics.<\/p>\n

Also available to us:<\/p>\n