This process for validating performance, component robustness, operational reliability, and cost-competitiveness — conducted in conjunction with prominent participants in the heavy vehicle industry through cost-shared research and development with the U.S. Department of Energy — is most likely to provide a basis for timely introduction of a technology into the marketplace and acceptance by industry.

Current areas of focus for the parasitic loss reduction activity include:

• Aerodynamic drag reduction research, to characterize and respond to energy losses caused by wind and rolling resistance.
• Friction and wear reduction research, to understand and address the multiple surface interactions that occur in heavy vehicle systems.
• Regenerative shocks primarily for trains, which can recover energy that is dissipated by conventional shock absorbers.
• Predictive cruise control that can control vehicle speed for optimal fuel efficiency.
• Idle reduction devices and systems that enable truckers to turn off their engines when stopped and still be comfortable while sleeping.
• Locomotive systems that reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency.
• Off-highway systems for construction and farm vehicles.
• Diesel reformers to transform diesel fuel into carbon monoxide and hydrogen for use with auxiliary systems.
• Thermal management to counter some of the negative heat-producing consequences of emissions control techniques.