Establishment of Baseline Conditions for Tricycle Research in Tuguegarao City, Philippines

There are a lot of initiatives to reduce the effect of global warming. In the Philippines, in the sector of transportation, shifting to a modernized mode of transportation (EVs), development of mass transport, and the like are being pushed. However, the effectiveness of each solution cannot be quantified without established baseline information. The objective of this study is to provide baseline information on 2-stroke and 4-stroke tricycles in Tuguegarao City. Experimental test runs are conducted to determine the effect of the general terrain, weight, road gradient, and age on the mileage efficiency of the tricycles. For general mileage efficiency, ten 2-stroke and ten 4-stroke tricycles are deployed on the same routes. Results show that the average mileage efficiency of the 2-stroke is 23.4 km/L, while that of the 4-stroke tricycle is 31.77 km/L. On a flat road, an additional load of one (1) kg on the tricycles decreases the mileage efficiency by an average of 0.4131% and 0.4095% on the 2-stroke and 4-stroke tricycles, respectively. The 4-stroke tricycle is 30% more efficient when tested on inclined roads. There is no direct relationship between the age of the tricycles tested and their corresponding mileage efficiency. A representative drive cycle for each type of tricycle is developed using a microtrip-based cycle construction. A load cycle is also developed based on the representative drive cycles constructed. The results of this paper will be a good input for future transportation-related studies in the city. This could also be the basis of Local government unit (LGU) and other lawmaking bodies in drafting policies related to transportation and environment.