Zero Emissions capable Ready for Autonomous Urban Deliveries (ZERAUD)

人们普遍认为，内燃机是发达国家不得不面对的许多空气质量问题的罪魁祸首。人们也普遍认为，在未来几年里，ICE将继续为长途运输和区域配送提供很大比例的牵引需求。当今运输和物流业务面临的挑战是如何遵守超低排放区要求，而不进一步将货物从高效的中型到大型车辆和拖车转运到小型超低排放车辆中进行城市配送。ZERAUD项目将在传统的柴油驱动卡车上增加一个电动驱动桥，将电能存储在拖车上，这通常是双层拖车下层前部的空空间。城市阶梯框架双层拖车已经相对昂贵（与全长替代方案相比）。ZERAUD项目旨在通过重新设计车轴或底盘框架，提供一种替代典型的低地板独立悬架的高成本（通常比一对标准轴多10-12000英镑），以允许足够的车轮运动，而不需要独立的车轮端。这将有助于抵消混合动力的成本。由于ZERAUD将在配送中心和超低排放区之间的行驶中保留柴油发动机，因此该悬架将利用电子悬架控制系统中的现有功能，以减少速度超过40英里/小时（65公里/小时）时的空气动力学阻力。据信，这一功能可以节省1-2%的燃料消耗，从而减少类似比例的废气排放。通过将卡车和拖车组合为一个整体，而不是单独的单元，可以充分利用设计上的优势，从而最大限度地利用牵引车单元所无法获得的空间。同样，该方法将允许单个元件作为传统的牵引车/拖车使用，虽然没有获得ZE的好处，但确实有助于最大化车队的多功能性，并通过减少拖车的阻力来减少排放。

It is universally recognised that the internal combustion engine is responsible for a great many of the air quality issues that developed countries have to face. It is also widely accepted that the ICE will continue to provide a large proportion of the traction requirements of long distance haulage and regional distribution for several years to come. The challenge for today's transport and logistics operations is how to comply with Ultra Low Emissions Zone requirements without further trans-shipment of goods from efficient medium to high volume vehicles and trailers into small volume Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles for urban distribution.Project ZERAUD will add an electric drive axle to a conventional diesel driven truck, storing the electrical energy on the trailer in the space that is often left empty at the front of the lower deck of a double deck trailer. Urban step frame double deck trailers are already relatively expensive (compared to the full length alternative). Project ZERAUD intends to offer an alternative to the high cost of a typical low floor independent suspension (typically £10-12000 more than a pair of standard axles) by redesigning either the axle or the chassis frame to allow sufficient wheel movement without needing independent wheel ends. This will help to offset the cost of the hybridisation.Because ZERAUD will retain the diesel engine for journeys between distribution centres and Ultra Low Emissions Zones, the suspension will make use of functions already available within electronic suspension controls to reduce aerodynamic drag at speeds above 40mph (65km/h). It is believed that this function can save 1-2% on fuel consumption and therefore reduce exhaust emissions by a similar proportion.By treating the combination of truck and trailer as a whole, rather than separate units, there are design benefits that can be taken advantage of to make optimal use of space that is not available if the tractor unit is treated separately. Similarly, the approach will allow the individual elements to be used as conventional tractor / trailer which, whilst not gaining the ZE benefit, does help maximise versatility of the fleet and reduce emissions through the reduced drag of the trailer.