Performances and Environmental Impacts of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles for Different Mixed-Traffic Scenarios

Andrea Gemma, Tina Onorato () and Stefano Carrese
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Andrea Gemma: Department of Civil, Computer Science and Aeronautical Technologies Engineering, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy
Tina Onorato: Department of Civil, Computer Science and Aeronautical Technologies Engineering, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy
Stefano Carrese: Department of Civil, Computer Science and Aeronautical Technologies Engineering, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-19

Abstract: As the transition towards connected and autonomous vehicles gradually happens, different phases with CAVs and human-driven vehicles sharing the same network will occur. This paper’s purpose is to increase the knowledge of these mixed situations, studying the impacts of an increasing number of CAVs within the vehicle fleet on road capacity, travel time savings and energy consumption, providing new insights into the debate that is still open. The methodology focused on a microsimulation-based approach on an urban motorway in the city of Rome. Some of the outcomes from simulations, run with the software PTV Vissim TM 21, were used to analyse variations in general performances of the transportation system, whereas the remaining results were fed into the emission model COPERT for assessing the impacts of CAV penetration on the energy consumption of the fleet. Results show how, in congested cases, appreciable improvements can be recorded in terms of road capacity, mean speeds, and environmental impacts, while in lower-congested situations, any enhancement in traffic fluidification counteracts the environmental performances of the whole system.

Keywords: connected and autonomous vehicles; environmental impacts; simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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