Abstract. The article discusses the latest trends and solutions used in the offers of rail vehicles manufacturers. The study is mainly concerned with the technical solutions used in hybrid rail vehicles, whose development has become one of the priorities for the development of rail vehicles in the European Union in recent years. Stricter emissions standards for harmful compounds in the European Union have forced manufacturers to use increasingly sophisticated technology, including hybrid drives and alternative fuels. The products and solutions offered by the major manufacturers on the market, along with their capabilities and future applications are described. The predicted trends in the development of propulsion technology for rail and road-rail vehicles are also indicated in view of the current legislative aspirations among the EU Member States.

The paper contains exhaust emission results for an RDE test drive of a passenger vehicle with a spark ignition bi-fuel engine fuelled with LPG. The tests were performed in accordance with the RDE test requirements, and their results were compared to the emission limits of the applicable EURO norm. The aim of the paper is to investigate the discrepancies in the real exhaust emissions between the gasoline-specific emission norms and real values from vehicle use when powered by LPG.

Many new zero-emission propulsion technologies are being developed today due to the need to reduce the atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. The impact of the transport sector on the environment drives a need for innovation, including innovation in the rail transport sector specifically. At the TRAKO fair of rail vehicles the newest technological solutions have been presented. These new vehicles are expected to take over the rail transport sector in the coming decades. Many of the presented solutions and prototypes focused on using hydrogen as fuel for a system of hydrogen fuel cells, which are then used to produce the electricity needed to drive the vehicle. The development of hydrogen fuel technologies in vehicle drives in recent years allowed for a set of new solutions to appear for all types of rail vehicles and applications. Hydrogen powered rail vehicles for transporting cargo, passengers, and shunting vehicles have been shown. This article provides a discussion of the newest hydrogen solutions and vehicles sent to the market. It was determined that the adoption of such solutions will be mainly restricted by the relative cost of the hydrogen fuel rather than the vehicles or fuel cell technologies themselves. The cost of hydrogen production, when powered by renewable Energy sources to enable reduced carbon dioxide emissions, would need to be reduced to at least $2.50 /kg of fuel in order to satisfy the requirements for widespread adoption.

Abstract. The article investigates the issue of PM emissions from HDV vehicles. The theoretical part discusses the problem of emission of this toxic compound in terms of particle structure taking into account the mass and dimensions of PM. Next, the methodology of the research and the results of the measurements performed under the conditions of actual operation were presented. The test drive routes were chosen in accordance with the operational purpose of the selected test vehicles. Two heavy vehicles were used for the study: a tractor with trailer and an eighteen meter long city bus. The test vehicles complied with the Euro V standard, with the second vehicle additionally complying with the EEV standard and being equipped with a DPF. The analysis of the research results was performed in the aspect of determining the operating time densities of vehicles and their drive systems as well as defining their emission characteristics and ecological indicators. PM and PN emissions were measured in the tests and particle size distribution was determined. It was shown that the exhaust gas aftertreatment system used in the city bus had a positive influence on the ecological indicators and had contributed to the reduction of PN emissions for heavier particles.

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