New European Commission regulations will curb truck and bus carbon emissions.
With a quarter of EU road transport carbon emissions coming from heavy duty vehicles (HDVs the move to regulate this area has been cautiously welcomed by the European Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
New, but is the science realistic? Image: AutoTribute |
Based on real-world data for certifying CO2 emissions, a newly developed computer simulation tool, VECTO, together with test procedures, will be able to calculate the specific emissions data for each individual bus or truck configuration.
However, the FTA has expressed concerns about the new system.
Rachael Dillon, the FTA's Climate Change Policy Manager, said: “... any approach to certifying carbon emissions of vehicles that does not take into account how much that vehicle can carry misses the point. Larger vehicles may well be more carbon efficient per tonne carried, and that is what matters."
With European commercial vehicle fuel consumption down 60% since 1965, ACEA believes that environmental targets should also be met through training in eco-driving, adjustments in vehicle dimensions, improved transport logistics, better and more intelligent infrastructure and a shift to alternative fuels.