Potential for Fuel Reduction through Electric Taxiing

In this study the potential for fuel savings through electric taxiing is investigated. Therefore simple models are used to investigate the difference of fuel consumption during the ground phase and the flight phase of a gate-to-gate mission. By using these models the fuel savings can be estimated, which are the sum of the fuel saved during ground operations and the additional fuel required during the flight phase due to an increased Operating Empty Weight. The models are applied to actual data of flights conducted by domestic carriers within the United States National Airspace System. Results show that electric taxiing offers the potential for fuel savings depending on the flight mission, i.e. the ratio of time an aircraft spends on ground and the flight distance. A parametric analysis is conducted to investigate the sensitivity of the results for different constraints. The study concludes with a comparison of the concept compared to other operational or technological measures aiming to reduce fuel consumption on ground.