Truck platooning reshapes greenhouse gas emissions of the integrated vehicle-road infrastructure system

Huailei Cheng, Yuhong Wang (), Dan Chong, Chao Xia, Lijun Sun (), Jenny Liu, Kun Gao, Ruikang Yang and Tian Jin
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Huailei Cheng: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Yuhong Wang: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Dan Chong: Shanghai University
Chao Xia: Tongji University
Lijun Sun: Tongji University
Jenny Liu: Missouri University of Science and Technology
Kun Gao: Chalmers University of Technology
Ruikang Yang: Tongji University
Tian Jin: Tongji University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Reducing greenhouse gas emissions has turned into a pillar of climate change mitigation. Truck platooning is proposed as a strategy to lower emissions from vehicles on roads. However, the potential interactive impacts of this technology on road infrastructure emissions remain unclear. Here, we evaluate the decarbonization effects of truck platooning on the integrated vehicle-road system at a large-scale road network level, spanning 1457 road sections across North America. We show that truck platooning decreases emissions induced by truck operations, but it degrades faster the durability of road infrastructure and leads to a 27.9% rise in road emissions due to more frequent maintenance work. Overall, truck platooning results in a 5.1% emission reduction of the integrated vehicle-road system. In contrast to the benefits of emission reduction, truck platooning leads to additional financial burdens on car users and transportation agencies, calling for the consideration of tradeoffs between emissions and costs and between agencies and users. Our research provides insights into the potential applications of truck platooning to mitigate climate change.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40116-0

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