Greenhouse gas emissions attributed to empty kilometers in automated vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are expected to significantly disrupt the mode choice behavior of travelers. This study uses household travel data collected in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) to explore the potential impact of private autonomous vehicles (PAV) on household vehicle kilometers travelled (VKT) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Two distinct scenarios are formulated to quantify the implications of PAVs on potential changes in household vehicle ownership and public transit ridership. The authors observe a feasible reduction in the total number of vehicles owned by a household with ownership of a PAV but at the expense of an average additional 57% daily VKT. In addition, the authors observe that PAVs have the potential to replace household transit trips while on average more than doubling daily VKT and GHG emissions. These findings can help guide policies that penalize empty miles and encourage ride sharing.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102567
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920920307549
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13619209
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Saleh, Marc
  • Hatzopoulou, Marianne
• Publication Date: 2020-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
  • Volume: 88
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1361-9209
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13619209

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Autonomous vehicles; Forecasting; Greenhouse gases; Households; Private passenger vehicles; Travel surveys; Vehicle miles of travel
• Geographic Terms: Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01755011
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 21 2020 9:50AM