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In the last years, world's general concern about climate changes and their effects on human life has strongly increased. Some countries, such as European Union members and the USA, are improving their legislations in order to limit vehicular CO2 emissions. To comply with these limits, new vehicle and fuel technologies are being developed in many places. Thus, the main goal of this paper is to present a comprehensive overview of some of these technologies for light-duty vehicles based on international published references and some experiences of Petrobras Research Center (CENPES). Also, this work addresses to some regulatory initiatives, such as new CO2 emission legislations and fuel economy labeling programs.

The growing humanity concern about harmful effects of global warming in consequence of greenhouse gases (GHG) emission has been translated on CO₂ emission reduction targets for the next years in many countries. These targets and regulations for exhaust gas pollutants with local effects have led to the introduction of new vehicular technologies as gasoline direct injection or hybrid vehicles, for instance. New fuel developments, including alternative ones, have already been an important contribution. In the United States, up to 2016, all manufacturers shall accomplish with the average production target of 34.1 mpg, becoming 49.6 mpg in 2025. In Europe, the 2015 target is 130 g/km of CO₂ average emission by each manufacturer production and reduced for 95 g/km in 2020. Japan, China, India and other countries have their own limits defined for the next years too.

This paper assesses the use of E85 fuel in Brazilian flex fuel light duty vehicles. E85 is composed of 85% of anhydrous ethanol and 15% of gasoline in volume base. Advantages and disadvantages of the E85 use are presented in comparison to hydrated ethanol (H100) that is currently available in the Brazilian market. Additionally, the blend H81 made by 81% of hydrated ethanol and 19% of E22 gasohol (gasoline with 22% of anhydrous ethanol), resulting on a fuel with 15% of gasoline was also investigated. The main difference between E85 and H81 is the water content due to the use of hydrated ethanol. As the E85 is not available in Brazil, this is the correspondent feasible mixture with commercial fuels in the country. Both fuels were assessed and compared to hydrated ethanol regarding cold start, cold driveability, speed recovery, pollutant emissions, fuel economy and deposit formation with engine and vehicle tests performed in the Petrobras Research Center (CENPES) laboratories.

The worldwide concerns and some countries stricter legislations regarding the CO2 emission of light duty vehicles are motivating new technologies adoption, such as hybrids and electric battery vehicles, and discussions about what fuel economy data comparison between different countries. International discussions were done about the need to reevaluate the existing standardized driving cycles due to large emission and fuel economy differences when compared to the real road values, leading to the creation of a new cycle called WLTC (Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Vehicle Test Cycle). Light duty vehicle fuel economy tests are usually performed on a chassis dynamometer using standard driving cycles under controlled laboratory conditions. Each country regulation defines the standard cycles used for the fuel economy tests.