Skip to main content

Study aims to improve fuel economy by up to 30 per cent

A US$1.2 million three-year research project, one of the first major US studies to focus on 'eco-driving' techniques, conducted by the Center for Environmental Research and Technology at the University of California, Riverside, is aimed at the development of a next-generation, environmentally friendly driving feedback system with the goal of generating fuel savings of between 10 and 30 per cent. The project is being funded by a US Department of Energy grant, which is part of a $175 million federal programme
March 20, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A US$1.2 million three-year research project, one of the first major US studies to focus on 'eco-driving' techniques, conducted by the Center for 4106 Environmental Research and Technology at the University of California, Riverside, is aimed at the development of a next-generation, environmentally friendly driving feedback system with the goal of generating fuel savings of between 10 and 30 per cent. The project is being funded by a US Department of Energy grant, which is part of a $175 million federal programme aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of the next generation of US vehicles.

Participants in the project include the University of California at Berkeley, Riverside Transit Agency, the 2451 California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), 212 esri, 3516 Navteq, 4107 Earthrise Technology, 4108 Beat The Traffic, and Automatiks. Work on the project will be based out of the Center for Environmental Research and Technology at UC Riverside, while field tests will be performed by commuter and commercial travellers in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The three-year project aims to develop and demonstrate a comprehensive driver feedback technology that will improve fuel efficiency of passenger cars and fleet vehicles of businesses and government. This technology already exists on a small scale, but this study will make large advances in a fully integrated feedback system that includes better trip planning and routing, improved efficiency while driving, and comprehensive reporting on a periodic basis."This grant allows us to go beyond small, anecdotal studies to show, on a large scale, the significant positive economic and environmental impacts of eco-driving principles and the value of feedback systems," said Matthew Barth, the principal investigator on the project and the director of UC Riverside's Center for Environmental Research and Technology at the Bourns College of Engineering.

Related Content

  • Electric vehicle range extension innovation
    August 7, 2012
    The latest research into electric vehicles suggests that range extensions of 10% or even more can be achieved through the utilisation of smart traffic technologies. By combining information gleaned from real-time traffic information, road type and gradient and also vehicle payload, researchers at the University of California, Riverside believe they can optimise route and performance to extend the range of electric vehicles.
  • Right ways to deter wrong-way
    August 6, 2020
    After research, California’s Caltrans is reviewing its highway design standards.
  • Right ways to deter wrong-way
    November 11, 2020
    After a pilot programme, California’s Caltrans is reviewing its highway design standards
  • Current technologies could eliminate 90 per cent of traffic accidents
    April 27, 2012
    Nearly every traffic accident caused by driver error – up to 90 per cent of all crashes – could be eliminated if existing intelligent transportation technologies were implemented in vehicles and on roads, say experts at IEEE, the world's largest technical professional association. These include electronics and computing technologies such as in-vehicle machine vision and sensors to detect drowsy drivers, lane departure warning systems, and vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications for s