ENT9: Environmental performance indicators for heavy duty vehicles

Status and results

The activities in the Action Group have been put on hold. Finland and Sweden have earlier expressed interest in the topic.

Background and contents

The EU has committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 8% in 2008-2012 compared to the 1990 level. Improving energy efficiency is one way of achieving these targets. By definition, passenger car have become 25% more efficient in the last twenty years, judging by their specific fuel consumption figures. However, fuel consumption data under real life conditions give a different picture. The gain in engine efficiency is often jeopardised by making cars more powerful, faster, comfortable and heavier. This trend has contributed to an increase in CO2 transport emissions over the past years.

No rating systems exist for large vehicles, vans and especially Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs). Not even a harmonized system for measuring and expressing fuel consumption exists. Therefore, there is a definite need to enhance the data availability in this area, and develop a similar guidelines and rating scheme as already exist for passenger cars. This would greatly help both transport companies and operators in their choice of new vehicles, as well as the public policymakers in their efforts to develop measures that support. 

Key ideas and objectives

This activity is aimed at conducting a joint research into the possibilities and practical use of EU wide performance indicators/rating scheme for heavy-duty vehicles taking into account both energy efficiency as well as air polluting emissions.

This research will have three subsequent sub-tasks. The first sub-task is to find out what mix of functional and technical specifications are available from the vehicles currently put on the market. Second task is to collect information from the on-going research in Member States that could offer more relevant and realistic information of the environmental performance and fuel use of both new vehicles as well as those already put on the road.

The third task is the development of a rating system for heavy-duty vehicles, resulting in, inter alia, a proposal for a harmonised system for measuring and expressing the fuel consumption in this category. This sub-task also entails the drafting of an implementation scenario for such a rating system. In this effort, existing initiatives (mainly for passenger cars) will be taken as a starting point.

Participating countries

Finland (leader)
Sweden
United Kingdom

Contact information

Juhani Laurikko, VTT, Finland
Juhani.Laurikko[at]vtt.fi