Renault Trucks and partners launch EDIT project to cut distribution vehicles’ fuel consumption by 13%
27 August 2015
After Optifuel Lab 2 (earlier post), the laboratory vehicle which brought together technological innovations designed to reduce long-distance trucks’ fuel consumption, Renault Trucks is extending its research to distribution vehicles.
Renault Trucks and six partners—Valeo, Lamberet, Michelin, BeNomad, INSA de Lyon (LamCoS) and IFSTTAR (LICIT)—have launched the EDIT (Efficient Distribution Truck) project, which aims to reduce distribution vehicles’ fuel consumption by 13% compared with a current production vehicle.
The prototype to be used will be a Renault Trucks D Wide Euro 6 with a refrigerated body. The EDIT project has been labelled by the LUTB Transport and Mobility System competitive cluster and selected within the framework of the 19th FUI Regions invitation to submit projects.
This demonstration vehicle will have to use technologies that can be made commercially available by 2020, to which each partner is contributing their expertise.
The project is based on various areas of research. First of all, the aerodynamics of the vehicle and refrigerated body will be thoroughly revised. Then, the prototype will be fitted with a low voltage macro-hybrid system which will recover some of the braking energy via a reversible electric system. This will be used to power auxiliary equipment with recovered electrical energy and can also provide occasional support to the internal combustion engine.
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Another area of research concerns the development of a new driving aid system. It is to be connected to traffic lights and able to detect when they will change, so as to define a speed profile minimizing fuel consumption. Furthermore, it will also allow drivers to choose the most economic itinerary for their truck. Finally, the prototype will be testing new tires with a lower rolling resistance coefficient.
The EDIT project is scheduled to end with the delivery of the first vehicle in 2018.
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