Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ...

Transportations Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Volume 2
Table 3.3C Incremental Costs of Resistance Reduction Strategies
Strategy
3-68
Per Unit Incremental Cost
Class 3 to 7 Class 8a and 8b
Basic cab aero $750 $750
Enhanced cab aero $800 $1,500
Trailer edge curvatures N/A $1,250
Front fairings $2,000 to $2,500 a $2,000 to $2,500 a
Side skirts N/A $2,500 to $6,500 a
Boat tails N/A $1,250 a to $5,600 a
Advanced trailers (UFD) N/A $2,500 b
Advanced trailers (CVTD) N/A $500 b
Electronic vision systems N/A $1,000 b
Single-wide tires and aluminum wheels 53 $1,680 a
$3,920 a
Automatic tire inflation systems N/A $500 to $900
Sources: Vyas et al., 2002; Lovins et al., 2005; Schubert and Kromer, 2008; Frey and Kuo, 2007;
NESCCAF/ICCT, 2009.
a Without side skirts.
b Includes installation and taxes.
c Includes lifetime replacement costs.
N/A – estimates not available or not applicable.
The one value found in the literature which focused exclusively on similar retrofit
strategies found a cost effectiveness of -$60/tonne (CARB, 2008a). 54
Cobenefits
In addition to fuel savings and associated GHG reductions, various other benefits are
anticipated with the adoption of rolling resistance technologies. Notably, the reduced
power requirements associated with these strategies can lower NOx and other emissions
substantially. A detailed study evaluating potential retrofit impacts on Class 8 trucks in
California estimated NOx reductions roughly comparable to GHG reductions for such
53 Adoption of single wide tires has a wider cost range depending on circumstances. When
purchasing a new truck or trailer, single-wide wheels and tires may be less expensive than
traditional duals (U.S. EPA, 2004b).
54 Based on an annualized cost of $400 million per year and a nationwide GHG reduction of 6.7 mmt
in 2020.