New green programme launched for HDVs

Date: 15/2/2011

Heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) need to become more fuel efficient, an issue which is becoming increasingly important.

That is according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) Dr David Clarke, who said European legislation will increase its power against vehicles that are not fuel efficient.

HDVs contribute towards eight per cent of the CO2 emissions in the UK and the ETI has called on small and medium-sized businesses, academics and HDV manufacturers to take part in a £40 million project to make transport greener.

Dr Clarke asserted: "Given the economic, security and climate change benefits of reducing fuel consumption, there is a significant opportunity for early benefits from the introduction of improved vehicles."

Fuel efficiency and low-carbon liquid fuels are essential in helping the industry meet greener goals, the ETI added.

The ETI is a limited liability partnership between the UK government and international industrial firms and primarily focuses on energy and getting laboratory-proven technologies to be deployed on a full-scale commercial basis.