Low-Level Automated Light-Duty Vehicle Technologies Provide Opportunities to Reduce Fuel Consumption

Gasoline is the main source of energy used for surface transportation in the United States. Reducing fuel consumption in light-duty vehicles can significantly reduce the transportation sector’s impact on the environment. Implementation of emerging automated technologies in vehicles could result in fuel savings. This study examines the effect of automated vehicle systems on fuel consumption using stochastic modeling. Automated vehicle systems examined in this study include warning systems such as blind spot warning, control systems such as lane keeping assistance, and information systems such as dynamic route guidance. We have estimated fuel savings associated with reduction of accident and non-accident-related congestion, aerodynamic force reduction, operation load, and traffic rebound. Results of this study show that automated technologies could reduce light-duty vehicle fuel consumption in the U.S. by 6% to 23%. This reduction could save $60 to $266 annually for the owners of vehicles equipped with automated technologies. Also, adoption of automated vehicles could benefit all road users (i.e., conventional vehicle drivers) up to $35 per vehicle annually (up to $6.2 billion per year).

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118796401
• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118796401
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Authors:
  • Vasebi, Saeed
  • Hayeri, Yeganeh M
  • Samaras, Constantine
  • Hendrickson, Chris
• Publication Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 60-74
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Volume: 2672
  • Issue Number: 24
  • Publisher: Sage Publications, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0361-1981
  • EISSN: 2169-4052
  • Serial URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/home/trr

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated vehicle control; Connected vehicles; Environmental impacts; Fuel conservation; Fuel consumption; Light vehicles; Savings; Technological innovations
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01657456
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 18-06702
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 24 2018 9:24AM