Conducted by the opitiTruck project, an open survey aimed at road haulage experts will help determine the best approach to gathering data for predictive powertrain optimisation. The online survey is open until 14 January 2018.

The development of improved powertrain technologies over the last decades has delivered significant improvements in the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles, but due to the rise in road freight volumes, current projections indicate that CO2 emissions from trucks will remain stable unless action is taken.

In order to contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the optiTruck project is bringing together the most advanced technologies from powertrain control and intelligent transport systems to achieve a reduction in fuel use of least 20%, all while achieving Euro VI emission standards for heavy duty road haulage vehicles (40t class vehicles).

optiTruck adopts an interdisciplinary approach, mobilising resources from the fields of big data analytics, cloud computing, data security, predictive algorithms, electronic systems, embedded software, engine and after-treatment modelling, and more.

This will lead to the creation of a global optimiser: a set of dynamic, intelligent control and prediction systems for powertrain management, exploiting environmental data related to the road topography, weather and road conditions, and the surrounding traffic.

What data for a predictive future?

Predictive technology exploits a range of data – such as road gradient, temperature, traffic, or rainfall – to determine upcoming driving conditions and adapt powertrain behaviour accordingly.

This anonymous and voluntary survey will help the researchers identify what data sets are most important for successful predictive powertrain optimisation. It is open to all, and aimed at manufacturers and suppliers, fleet operators, and experts and organisations involved in the road haulage industry.

The survey is open until 14 January 2019, and is available here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3YLY62J

The optiTruck project partners will carry out real-life testing in 2019 with a pan-European test drive by a truck equipped with the global optimiser, demonstrating the reduction in fuel consumption and emissions in different scenarios.

The optiTruck project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 713788.