Potential energy and emissions benefits of connected and autonomous vehicles in mixed traffic flows

Abstract

Under a likely transitional stage of co-existence of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) and conventional vehicles (CVs), this study explores the potential effects of CAVs to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and pollutant emissions in different road types based on improved operational parameters. For that purpose, CAVs were assumed to behave as eco-driving agents to influence the environmental performance of overall traffic. A microscopic traffic and emission model platform was applied to simulate a European medium-sized city during the morning peak period. Different roadway sections, including motorway, rural and urban, were selected to evaluate in detail the impact of CAVs in different roads types and over multiple CAVs penetration rates. CAVs showed to significantly influence the environmental performance of CVs with CO2 emission ranging from -13% to +3%. These results suggest that even CAVs will be predominantly fully electric, the impact on network-wide emissions should be taken into account and adjusted to different driving scenarios