Real Energy Efficiency of Road Vehicles

Óscar S. Serrano-Guevara, José I. Huertas () and Michael Giraldo
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Óscar S. Serrano-Guevara: Sustainable Energy Research Group, School of Science and Engineering, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
José I. Huertas: Sustainable Energy Research Group, School of Science and Engineering, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
Michael Giraldo: Industry, Materials, and Energy Area, School of Applied Sciences and Engineering, Universidad EAFIT, Medellin 050022, Colombia

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-24

Abstract: There is an urgent need for a method of evaluating the real energy performance of vehicles that eliminates the effects of external conditions (topography, altitude, and road conditions) and human factors (driving styles), especially in the case of heavy-duty vehicles. Governmental authorities require results on the energy performance of vehicles to develop strategies that result in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, while fleet managers require results regarding the energy efficiency of existing vehicle technologies to select the technologies that minimize energy consumption and, therefore, operational costs. Aiming to address this need, we propose a method for evaluating the global energy efficiency of road vehicles by monitoring at 1 Hz the operational variables of a vehicle under normal conditions of use for a long time. The variables monitored are engine RPM and vehicle location, speed, payload, and energy consumption. This method was verified using 49 vehicles, representing 23 vehicle technologies. These vehicles varied in size (light duty and heavy duty), application (cars, buses, and freight), energy sources (gasoline, diesel, and electric), and operational conditions (Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, and México). Testing was conducted across various altitudes (0–3600 masl) and topographies (flat and mountainous regions). The results showed that the energy efficiencies for gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicles ranged from 17 to 30%, those for diesel-fueled heavy-duty vehicles ranged from 25 to 42%, and those for electric heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) ranged from 70 to 80%.

Keywords: fuel consumption; telematics; road transport; greenhouse gases; energy efficiency transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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