One of the primary benefits of autonomous vehicles is their advantages in maintaining traffic flow.  I’ve written previously about studies that have explored the environmental benefits of this, with studies suggesting that things might not be so straightforward, and that the sensors and computers required to operate the vehicle will add significantly to the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of the car.

Despite this however, the researchers believe that the driving efficiencies are enough to still produce overall savings of around 9% compared to vehicles operating today.

“Our findings highlight the need to focus on energy efficiency when designing autonomous vehicles so that the full environmental benefits of this emerging, transformative technology can be realized. We hope this work contributes to a more sustainable mobility ecosystem,” the authors say.

Traffic flow

A recent paper from Rutgers University-Camden presents a slightly more optimistic picture in terms of the benefits smoother traffic flow can bring however.  It reminds us that we don’t need huge numbers of autonomous vehicles in traffic to derive benefits in terms of flow.

The researchers recently demonstrated their work to industry representatives, using virtual reality to highlight how a single autonomous vehicle can benefit at least 20 human-driven cars.  The research found that the autonomous vehicle was effective at controlling the flow of traffic by minimizing the stop-and-go waves that are so common when cars are driven by humans.  The team believe that if just 5% of cars are autonomous it could reduce total fuel consumption by up to 40%.

“Most of the policymakers, car manufacturers, car dealers, and others we talked with were very impressed with the research results and got a positive feeling about autonomous vehicles,” the team say. “They all agreed that the impact on real traffic economy and environmental impact could be of great importance.”