Comparison of Propulsion Technologies for Heavy-Duty Vehicles Based on EU Legislation (VECTO) and a LCA Assessment

Since January 2019, individual values for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are determined for newly produced trucks in the EU in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/2400. The applied approach is based on the measurement of the energy demand or the efficiencies of the individual vehicle components and the simulation of fuel consumption and the tailpipe CO2 emissions of the vehicle with the software "VECTO". The corresponding results form the basis for the CO2 standards that manufacturers have to meet in the coming years compared to the baseline year 2019 (2025: minus 15%, 2030: minus 30%; at present under review). Methodology and legislation are currently being extended to cover further vehicle categories (buses, vans) and to calculate the energy consumption or operational range of vehicles with alternative propulsion technologies (e.g. battery-electric, hydrogen). The publication gives an overview of the legal framework and the technical methods used in VECTO. Furthermore, a comparison of different propulsion technologies relevant for heavy-duty vehicles is given on the basis of the CO2 emissions and energy consumption values determined according to VECTO as well as on the basis of a life cycle assessment. The latter refers to data and scenarios that were developed within the framework of the EU-funded "LONGRUN" project.