A GENERALIZED MODEL FOR COMPARING AUTOMOBILE DESIGN APPROACHES TO IMPROVED FUEL ECONOMY

The focus of the report is on the rapid increase in demand and the national goal of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign energy supplies, and the implications of this conflict for governmental policymaking. The report describes an automobile design model to assess the effects of design changes on fuel economy, lifetime energy required, sticker price, and annual cost of ownership of automobiles having specified acceleration capabilities, passenger and trunk compartment dimensions, and unrefueled range. This model has been used to evaluate the effects of several improvements such as radial tires, structural materials, and non-petroleum fuels. Results indicate that large savings in automobile energy consumption can be attained through technical improvements and that such savings in energy will also reduce the cost of ownership.

• Corporate Authors:

  RAND Corporation

  1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138
  Santa Monica, CA  United States  90407-2138

  National Science Foundation

  Advanced Energy Research and Technology Division
  Washington, DC  United States  20550
• Authors:
  • Kirkwood, T F
  • Lee, A D
• Publication Date: 1975-1

Media Info

• Pagination: 142 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Conservation; Cost control; Demand; Design; Economic models; Energy; Energy conservation; Federal government; Fuel consumption; Fuels; Improvements; Materials; Mathematical models; Motor fuels; Operating costs; Policy; Prices; Radial ply tires; Savings; Strategic planning; Tires; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cost reduction; Design criteria; Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Government policies; Radial tires
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Energy; Environment; Highways; Materials; Policy; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00093127
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-1562-NSF, NSF/RA/N-75-046
• Contract Numbers: NSF-GI-44, NSF-SAI74-18660
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 3 1976 12:00AM