On the energy intensity of road transport in the presence of Connected and Automated Mobility
This study evaluates the energy implications of Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) services in urban and highway contexts, considering propulsion energy and system-level demands like sensing, computation, and communication. Urban scenarios, including robotaxis, automated shuttles, and high-frequency buses, were analysed alongside highway applications of CCAM to improve traffic flow and energy efficiency.
Technological advancements and optimization could reduce the additional energy consumption of CCAM systems by over 80% compared to today’s prototypes, emphasizing the importance of energy-efficient automation. Shared automated shuttles and high-frequency buses emerge as the most efficient urban solutions, maintaining healthy active modes while increasing accessibility. Additionally, strategies to reduce reliance on private vehicles—such as promoting shared services and rethinking urban space—could lower urban energy consumption by up to 15% compared to today’s trips made with a fully electrified fleet. On highways, automated traffic systems designed to reduce congestion enable smoother and more stable traffic flow, lowering overall energy demand across the network. Simulations indicate that even moderate adoption of CCAM can alleviate congestion and reduce disruptions, provided systems are optimized for traffic flow.
These findings underscore the need to advance CCAM technologies and implement supportive measures to achieve safer and more energy-efficient transport systems
GARUS Ada;
MATTAS Konstantinos;
ALBANO Giovanni;
BALDINI Gianmarco;
CIUFFO Biagio;
2025-05-05
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC141212
978-92-68-27059-2 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40305,
OP KJ-01-25-260-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC141212,
10.2760/8978379 (online),
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