The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plays a crucial role in guiding the formulation of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, and at the forefront of this regulatory process stands Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne). Argonne, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research institution, has developed Autonomie—an advanced and comprehensive full-vehicle simulation tool that has solidified its status as an industry standard for evaluating vehicle performance, energy consumption, and the effectiveness of various technologies.
Under the purview of an Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA), the DOE Argonne Site Office (ASO) and Argonne have assumed the responsibility of conducting full-vehicle simulations to support NHTSA's CAFE rulemaking initiatives. This paper introduces an innovative approach that hinges on a large-scale simulation process, encompassing standard regulatory driving cycles tailored to various vehicle classes and spanning diverse timeframes. What sets this methodology apart is its integration of lightweighting advancements specifically tailored to different vehicle powertrains.
Moreover, beyond describing the novel methodology, this paper offers a comprehensive analysis of energy consumption reduction. It delves into the intricate dynamics across a spectrum of vehicle powertrains, providing a nuanced understanding of how advancements in lightweighting contribute to energy efficiency gains. This work not only highlights an innovative approach to vehicle simulation, but also contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse surrounding CAFE standards and sustainable automotive technologies.