ICCT reports focus on effectiveness of regulatory options for car emissions, tyre energy efficiency
Tue 12 July 2011
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The International Council on Clean Transportation has published two new reports, one on the most effective targets for emissions performance regulations and a second on the energy efficiency and emissions saving potential of tyres.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission performance standards for new passenger cars in the European Union are indexed according to vehicle weight. The ICCT's report assesses several potential index parameters, and uses an extensive database of 2009 sales of passenger cars in the European Union to analyze the effects of different target systems on manufacturers and individual vehicles.
The assessment indicates that a size-based emission target system offers several advantages over the current weight-based system. Under a size-based system emission reductions from vehicle weight reduction are fully taken into account, encouraging greater emission reductions and giving manufacturers more flexibility in meeting their targets at minimum compliance costs. Furthermore, a size-based target system is less prone to 'gaming' and correlates better with vehicle utility than weight.
The ICCT's report on the energy savings accessessible from tyre choice says that readily achievable improvements in tyre energy efficiency could reduce global fuel consumption from passenger vehicles by as much as 5%. That would translate into a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 100 million metric tons a year.
The ICCT says that more efficient tyres can be produced without sacrificing safety or other important design attributes. Proper maintenance and better consumer information are also key to achieving those potential energy-efficiency gains.
The report summarizes the range of possible efficiency improvements for tyres and surveys current policies in the European Union, the United States, Japan, and South Korea, the main tyre producing centres. It explains potential benefits and costs for improvements in tyre energy efficiency, market barriers to these improvements, as well as the relationships between energy efficiency and other tyre attributes.
The report also summarizes programs that have been adopted to improve manufacturing and sales practices and to promote good maintenance, and provides best practice recommendations.
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