Rolling Resistance and Vehicle Efficiency

Transportation Radio

Mark Hoffman, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Auburn University, and his graduate research assistant Karl Bohnenberger have been studying one of the lesser known contributors to poor fuel economy: rolling resistance. Rolling resistance is a measure of the effort required to keep a tire rolling. It might not grab headlines, but rolling resistance has a substantial impact on emissions and energy use. According to the US Department of Energy, conventionally fueled vehicles use up 11% of their fuel to keep their tires rolling, while electric vehicles use up to 25% of their energy for this purpose. As a result, reducing rolling resistance, as well as quality research on the subject, presents a valuable opportunity to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce the transportation sector’s carbon footprint. On this episode of AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast, Mark and Karl join us to chat about rolling resistance reduction as an attainable step toward a sustainable future.