Transportation
Profitable GHG Reduction Through Fuel Economy
This presentation outlines practical ways that Class-8 truck fleets can realize significant fuel savings and increased profits through efficiency techniques. Focusing on components that save fuel and providing case studies that have capitalized on these opportunities, RMI’s researchers demonstrate how a 25% fuel economy improvement is possible using existing technologies…
Letter to NHTSA on Revised Light Truck CAFE Standards
This letter was written by Amory Lovins in 2005 and sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the letter, Lovins commends the NHTSA for its 2005 adoption of CAFE standards based on size rather than weight. Size-based standards incentivize manufacturers to use lighter materials that improve the efficiency…
Legislative Options to Improve Transportation Efficiency
Traditional policy prescriptions for transportation efficiency have been largely misguided. With smarter legislation, the auto industry can restore competitiveness, boost profits, and displace oil use. The economic burden of high oil prices, concerns of supply and security, and environmental impact are justifiable reasons for state governments to act now. This…
Reforming the Automobile Fuel Economy Standards Program: Letter to the NHTSA
In this 2004 letter to the NHTSA, Amory Lovins challenges the agency’s proposed policy about the Automobile Fuel Economy Standards Program. He argues that NHTSA’s policy should be performance-based, not prescriptive; that the standards should be neutral as to vehicle mass, or favor the down-sized vehicles; if fuel-economy choices are…
Hypercars, Hydrogen, and the Automotive Transition
Designing and making cars differently and emphasizing ultralight weight, ultralow drag, and integrated design can reduce required propulsive power by about two-thirds. This can make direct-hydrogen fuel cells and commercially available compressed-hydrogen-gas tanks practical and affordable even at relatively high early prices. Coordinating such vehicles with deployment of fuel cells…
