Techno-economic analysis of HGV trailer tyres based on wear and fuel consumption

Fuel consumption and tyre replacement are two important factors influencing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of heavy goods vehicles (HGV). Low rolling resistance (RR) tyres reduce fuel consumption but typically experience higher wear, increasing replacement costs. This study presents a comparative techno-economic analysis of conventional and low RR tyres using a tyre wear model and vehicle energy consumption model across long-haul, urban, and mixed-use operations. The effect of trailer steering systems, which reduce tyre scrubbing, is also assessed. Results show that without steering system, low RR tyres reduce TCO only in long-haul and mixed-use scenarios, while conventional tyres remain more economical in urban driving. Trailer steering systems enable low RR tyres to achieve lowest TCO in all scenarios, while providing a total saving of £35,000 over trailer service life for urban operations. Combining trailer steering and low RR tyres can reduce the operational cost by 4.9% for mixed-use operations.