ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF AUTOMOBILES

A computer model has been developed to predict the fuel consumption of an automobile in response to changes in vehicle design and traffic characteristics. The structure of the model allows for data relating to car body (drag coefficient, vehicle mass etc), engine (capacity, no of cylinders etc), gear box (gear ratio, final drive ratio, etc), load factor, and traffic characteristic (average speed, number of stops per km, etc) to be input to the model. This enables the effect of variation of input parameters on the energy efficiency to be assessed. The model produces a variety of output in graphical as well as tabular form. The output, it is hoped, will provide guidelines for policy-making by identifying areas in which efforts should be concentrated. Among the range of operational and design options evaluated in this study, increasing load factor offers the greatest reduction of about 60 per cent. Other options such as reduction in vehicle weight, the addition of a fifth gear, improvements in drag coefficient and higher tyre inflation result in savings of between 2 to 15 per cent. Smaller cars (in terms of engine capacity) and improved traffic management offer significantly higher fuel saving potential of between 35-40 per cent (a). The number of the covering abstract of the forum is TRIS no 367004. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03136655
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper presented at the 7th Australian Transport Research Forum, 17-19 March 1982, Hobart, Forum Papers, Volume 1.
• Corporate Authors:

  Tasmania Transport Commission

  1 Collins Street
  Hobart, Tasmania,   Australia 
• Authors:
  • Wadhwa, L C
  • PALMER, A R
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 383-403
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Tasmania Transport Commission
  • Publisher: Tasmania Transport Commission
  • ISSN: 0313-6655

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Conferences; Design; Digital computers; Digital simulation; Drag; Economic efficiency; Energy conservation; Forecasting; Fuel consumption; Gears; Highway traffic control; Inflation; Load factor; Loads; Mathematical models; Motor vehicle bodies; Simulation; Tire pressure; Tires; Traffic; Traffic speed; Vehicle design; Vehicle power plants; Vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Old TRIS Terms: Automobile bodies; Automobile engines
• ITRD Terms: 8525: Conference; 9011: Design (overall design); 6483: Digital model; 5911: Efficiency; 232: Fuel consumption; 5567: Load; 755: Traffic; 1255: Vehicle
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Energy; Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00367018
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Sep 30 1982 12:00AM