ECO-ROUTING: MORE GREEN DRIVERS MEANS MORE BENEFITS?

Serrano, Cristina Valdés; Prada, Fiamma Perez; de Cáceres, Andrés Monzón · 2016 · Crossref

DOI: 10.4995/cit2016.2016.3250

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Summary

This study investigates the effectiveness of "eco-routing," an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) strategy where drivers select routes to minimize fuel consumption and CO2 emissions rather than minimizing travel time or monetary cost. Motivated by the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport, which remains a significant contributor to EU emissions, the research questions whether increasing the adoption of green driving behaviors always yields positive environmental outcomes, particularly regarding the interplay between traffic conditions and the penetration rate of eco-conscious drivers. The researchers employed a macro-scale traffic assignment model using PTV-VISUM software, calibrated for the Madrid region, which covers 8,026 square kilometers and six million inhabitants. The model was validated against traffic flow data for three distinct traffic scenarios: free flow, medium flow, and congested flow. To simulate eco-routing, a new impedance function based on fuel consumption was defined for "green drivers," while conventional drivers continued to optimize for time and cost. The study analyzed 18 scenarios, varying the penetration rate of green drivers at 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% across the three traffic conditions. The assignment process was iterative, recalculating impedance functions to account for changing traffic conditions as green drivers were assigned to the network. The results indicate that the impact of eco-routing varies substantially depending on traffic levels. In both congested and free-flow conditions, eco-routing reduced absolute CO2 emissions, with maximum reductions of 8.16% and 9.47% respectively at 90% penetration. However, in medium-flow traffic, the benefits were less pronounced, and relative fuel consumption per kilometer increased slightly. Across all scenarios, higher penetration rates of green drivers led to significant increases in travel times, with average speeds dropping by up to 32.81% in congested scenarios. Disaggregated data revealed that green drivers tended to select shorter routes, often shifting traffic from peripheral highways to urban streets and city centers. This shift concentrated benefits on motorways but increased vehicle-kilometers traveled in urban areas. The study concludes that while eco-routing has high potential for reducing global CO2 emissions, it comes at the cost of increased travel times and potential local pollution increases in city centers due to traffic redistribution. The findings suggest that "more green drivers" does not automatically equate to optimal benefits, as the trade-off between fuel savings and time penalties is significant. The authors identify a research gap in understanding how drivers balance these factors given individual time and monetary constraints, and suggest that combining eco-routing with other ICT measures, such as start-stop systems, may be necessary to mitigate negative side effects.

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• eco driving