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EMISSIONS AND FUEL ECONOMY OF FEDERAL ALTERNATIVELY FUELED FLEET VEHICLES
Citation:
Gabele, P. AND F. Black. EMISSIONS AND FUEL ECONOMY OF FEDERAL ALTERNATIVELY FUELED FLEET VEHICLES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-93/043 (NTIS PB93167195).
Description:
This paper presents results from a study designed to investigate the effects of automobile fuels on emissions and fuel economy. The study is part of a larger program mandated by the Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988 that requires the Department of Energy (DOE), in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to examine the effects of using various alternative fuels in motor vehicles. A total of ten fuels and six vehicles has been tested to date, and additional tests are being planned as the project continues. Emissions measured included exhaust organics, evaporative hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and toxics. Regulated emissions tended to be lower with one of the alcohol fuels (M85). This fuel, also had lower emissions of organics which have a potential for forming ozone. Of the gasoline blends, the lowest hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions were obtained with a severely reformulated fuel. However, the nitrogen oxide emissions with this fuel tended to be higher than that for the other test fuels. Toxic emissions were lowest with the certification fuel which also tended to have the lowest emission of ozone-forming organics compared to the other gasoline blends. Fuel economies expressed in energy equivalent units were approximately the same for nine of the ten test fuels. he M85 alcohol fuel showed a slight (approximately two percent) improvement in fuel economy with three of the four cars in which it was tested.