The research challenge in making cars more environmentally friendly is to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and to improve energy efficiency, while, at the same time, meeting individual and societal demands for mobility and vehicle performance.
Reducing dependence on fossil fuels
The transport sector accounts for more than 30% of total energy consumption in the EU, with 98% dependence on fossil fuels and a rising energy demand. The main R&D objective in this field is therefore to reduce the dependence of transport sector on oil-based fuels.
The main technology options for reducing cars' fossil-fuel consumption and, accordingly, CO2 emissions include: reduction in demand, by for example smaller engine size; hydrogen with fuel cells; electric vehicles with advanced battery electricity storage; improved hybrid electric designs with petrol, diesel and biodiesel; advanced high-efficiency internal combustion engines (ICEs); use of biodiesel and bio-ethanol as carriers and; co-processing of biomass with fossil fuels.
Reducing emissions vs improved mobility
The European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC), a European technology platform launched in 2003, brings together actors from the road transport industry (manufacturers, suppliers, infrastructure operators), local and national governments, the research and academic communities, NGOs and the Commission to provide a strategic vision for the road transport sector R&D up to 2020.
One of the four pillars of the platforms' recently published (January 2005) Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) is entitled 'Environment, energy and ressources'. Work under this pillar includes priorities such as: hybrid technologies, advanced fuels from biomass and waste, fuel cells and hydrogen fuels, efficient low-emission internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs) and advanced fuels and mobility management, road infrastructure design and advanced traffic management.
The ERTRAC agenda has been a major guide in the formulation of the 'Transport' work programme for the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7 2007-2013). The objective of this thematic priority is to develop integrated, safer, 'greener' and 'smarter' pan-European transport systems respectful of the environment and natural resources. The Commission has proposed a €4 billion 2007-2013 budget for transport. In addition to the 'Transport' thematic priority, FP7 will cover transport issues in four other areas: energy, environment, information and communication technologies and nanotech.
The Commission's Intelligent car initiative also addresses R&D in the area of smarter, cleaner and safer vehicles and aims to facilitate the take-up and use of research results. Research under this initiative is about using information and communication technologies (ICT) to help, for example, increase capacity management in freight transport with the aim of reducing fuel consumption.
As to private-sector research, the ten major European vehicle manufacturers have, through their research association EUCAR , identified common research topics of high priority for the future road transport system. To move towards sustainable transport systems the industry is conducting research in, for example, the field of future fuels, advanced conventional powertrain technology, alternative powertrain technology, noise reduction and new materials.
