Impact on energy and air quality of connected and autonomous vehicles in an urban context

Despite numerous studies related to autonomous vehicles and connected vehicles (CAVs) and their impact on the economy or on traffic performance (eg, flow management, accidents), there are not many studies that relate these benefits to the environmental component. In this context, the objective of this work consisted in the integrated assessment of the impacts of CAVs on traffic performance, atmospheric emissions CO2 and NOx, and air quality.

To this end, a roundabout in the city of Aveiro was selected as a case study, and different scenarios were created: base scenario, considering the current typology of vehicles (conventional); scenario 2, considering defensive behavior CAVs; scenario 3, considering assertive behavior CAVs; and scenario 1, considering all types of vehicles mentioned above. To ensure a comprehensive analysis, all scenarios were evaluated for a period of 24 hours, corresponding to the period of the experimental campaign carried out, and a cascade of models was applied.

First, the PTV VISSIM model was applied which allowed, configuring, calibrating and validating the network under study for an evaluation of the traffic performance. Second, the VSP model was applied to estimate atmospheric emissions, Finally, the CFD VADIS model was applied to air quality assessment.

The results obtained allowed us to conclude that the introduction of CAVs, promotes longer travel times, especially during times of higher traffic, and an increase in emissions, mainly by the CAVs with defensive behavior. In terms of air quality, there were large differences in terms of NO2 concentrations, with the CAVs promoting a degradation of air quality, especially during peak traffic hours.