With implementation of the Carbon Tax Bill imminent, local fleet operators should be looking to new global technologies for assistance in reducing their carbon footprint.
French transport tech developer, Adgero, recently unveiled the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) for trucks and trailers, designed as a retrofit to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
KERS is an intelligent system comprising two control units, one on the tractor and one on the trailer. During acceleration, the tractor control unit communicates with the trailer to manage the boost provided by the trailer’s electrically motorised axle.
Power is provided by a bank of ultra-capacitors. During braking, the motor becomes a generator, recovering kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost as heat and storing it in the capacitors.
Peri-urban simulations using an Iveco 12-ton delivery truck show a 32.19% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, with a return on investment of 21.9% on fuel savings alone.
Putting this into perspective, the Review of Low Carbon Technologies for Heavy Goods Vehicles by global environmental consultancy Ricardo indicates that low rolling resistance tyres result in around 5% fuel efficiency improvements; platooning between 7 and 20% (depending on speeds); driver training 10% (initially); engine efficiency enhancements 4% to 7%; waste heat recovery 6%; transmission technologies 7%; and Start/Stop systems 6% (in urban cycles).
Compare this to electric hybrids with KERS, which can save between 15% and 30% and it is clear that there are significant CO2 reduction benefits to be had in electric hybrid/KERS technologies.
