The Model of Vehicle and Route Selection for Energy Saving

Abstract

The World Bank, United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and others are in line with the governments of countries that are strongly interested in the sustainable development of countries, regions, and enterprises. One of the aspects that affects the indicators and prospects of sustainable development is the efficiency of energy source use. Nationwide reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions of motor vehicles could have a direct effect on ambient temperature and reducing the effects of global warming, which can affect future environmental, societal, and economic development. Significant reductions in fuel consumption can be achieved by increasing the efficiency of use, and the performance, of current cargo vehicles. This aspect is directly related to cargo delivery systems and supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. The article solves the problem of increasing the effectiveness of cargo delivery and proposes a model that would minimize transportation costs that are directly related to fuel consumption, shortening transportation time. The model addresses the problem of a lack of models evaluating the efficiency of cargo to Lithuania that is using several different modes of transportation. For the solution to this problem, the article examines the complexity of the rational use of land and water vehicles depending on the type of cargo transported, the technical capabilities of the vehicles (loading, speed, environmental pollution, fuel consumption, etc.), and the type (cars, railways, ships). The novelty of the findings is based on the availability to select the most appropriate vehicles, on a case-by-case basis, from the available options, depending on their environmental performance and energy efficiency. This model, later in this article, is used for calculations of Lithuanian companies for selecting the most rational vehicle by identifying the most appropriate route, as well as assessing the dynamics of the economic and physical indicators. The model allows for creating dependencies between the main indicators characterizing the transport process—the cost, the time of transport, and the safety, taking into account the dynamics of economic and physical indicators, that lead to a very important issue—reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services.