Full Title: Potential for Energy Efficiency Improvement Beyond the Light-Duty-Vehicle Sector
Author(s): Vyas, A. D.; Patel, D. M.; Bertram, K. M.
Publisher(s): U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Publication Date: February 1, 2013
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Description (excerpt):
This is one of a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) project, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored multi-agency project initiated to identify underexplored strategies for abating greenhouse gases and reducing petroleum dependence related to transportation. The project was designed to consolidate existing transportation energy knowledge, advance analytic capacity-building, and uncover opportunities for sound strategic action.
The Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) Study evaluates various technological, fuel substitution, and policy options for reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and petroleum use. In 2009, 30 quadrillion Btu of energy were used in the transportation sector. Light-duty vehicles (LDVs), cars and light trucks, account for 55% of this energy use. The other 45% consists of freight and passenger transportation by way of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses, aircraft, marine vessels, trains, pipeline, and off-road equipment.
While there has been considerable research focusing on energy efficiency and fuel substitution options for LDVs, much less attention has been given to non-LDV modes, even though they constitute close to half of the energy used in the transportation sector (Figure ES.1). We conducted an extensive literature review of the non-LDV modes, and in this report we bring together the salient findings concerning future energy efficiency options in the time period up to 2050. The studies reviewed provided potential energy savings for individual technologies within each mode, as well as an overall energy savings representing the case where all possible improvements are implemented.