Economic Assessment of Autonomous Electric Microtransit Vehicles

There is rapidly growing interest in autonomous electric vehicles due to their potential in improving safety, accessibility, and environmental outcomes. However, their market penetration rate is dependent on costs. Use of autonomous electric vehicles for shared-use mobility may improve their cost competitiveness. So far, most of the research has focused on the cost impact of autonomy on taxis and ridesourcing services. Singapore is planning for island-wide deployment of autonomous vehicles for both scheduled and on-demand services as part of their transit system in the year 2030. TUMCREATE developed an autonomous electric vehicle concept, a microtransit vehicle with 30-passenger capacity, which can complement the existing bus transit system. This study aims to determine the cost of autonomous electric microtransit vehicles and compare them to those of buses. A total cost of ownership (TCO) approach was used to compare the lifecycle costs. It was shown that although the acquisition costs of autonomous electric vehicles are higher than those of their conventional counterparts, they can reduce the TCO per passenger-km up to 75% and 60% compared to their conventional counterparts and buses, respectively.

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A Comprehensive Emissions Model Combining Autonomous Vehicles with Park and Ride and Electric Vehicle Transportation Policies

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13094653 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 4653

Author(s):

Mohammed Obaid ◽

Arpad Torok ◽

Jairo Ortega

Keyword(s):

Electric Vehicles ◽

Autonomous Vehicles ◽

Emission Reduction ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Sustainable Transport ◽

Mode Shift ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Park And Ride ◽

Model Combining ◽

Autonomous Electric Vehicles

Several transport policies reduce pollution levels caused by private vehicles by introducing autonomous or electric vehicles and encouraging mode shift from private to public transport through park and ride (P&R) facilities. However, combining the policies of introducing autonomous vehicles with the implementation of electric vehicles and using the P&R system could amplify the decrease of transport sector emissions. The COPERT software has been used to calculate the emissions. This article aims to study these policies and determine which combinations can better reduce pollution. The result shows that each combination of autonomous vehicles reduces pollution to different degrees. In conclusion, the shift to more sustainable transport modes through autonomous electric vehicles and P&R systems reduces pollution in the urban environment to a higher percentage. In contrast, the combination of autonomous vehicles has lower emission reduction but is easier to implement with the currently available infrastructure.

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Impact of electric vehicles on the cost-competitiveness of generation and storage technologies in the electricity system

Environmental Research Letters ◽

10.1088/1748-9326/ab5e6b ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 124087 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M Taljegard ◽

V Walter ◽

L Göransson ◽

M Odenberger ◽

F Johnsson

Keyword(s):

Electric Vehicles ◽

Electricity System ◽

Cost Competitiveness ◽

Storage Technologies ◽

The Cost ◽

And Storage

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A Control Algorithm for Autonomous Electric Vehicles by Fuzzy Logic

Advanced Engineering Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/aef.27.103 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 103-110

Author(s):

Viorel Stoian

Keyword(s):

Fuzzy Logic ◽

Fuzzy Control ◽

Motion Control ◽

Electric Vehicles ◽

Autonomous Vehicles ◽

Control Algorithm ◽

Program Code ◽

Neighbourhood Level ◽

Fuzzy Control Algorithm ◽

Autonomous Electric Vehicles

The domain of autonomous vehicles is of great interest to researchers and engineers and much has been performed in this field. The paper proposes a fuzzy control algorithm for autonomous electric vehicles which are moving next to the obstacle (object) boundaries, avoiding the collisions with them (a “guard motion”). Four motion cycles (programs) which depend of the proximity levels and which are used by the vehicle on its trajectory are described. The directions of the movements corresponding to every cycle and for every reached neighbourhood level are indicated. The sequence of the programs and the conditions of their alternation are shown. The motion control algorithm describes the sequence of the functional cycles by a schernatic program code. The fuzzy rules for evolution (transition) of the cycles and for the motion on x-axis and y-axis respectively are expounded. Finally, some simulations are represented.

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Enabling In-Depot Automated Routing and Recharging Scheduling for Automated Electric Bus Transit Systems

Journal of Advanced Transportation ◽

10.1155/2021/5531063 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Lei Wang ◽

Wanjing Ma ◽

Ling Wang ◽

Yongli Ren ◽

Chunhui Yu

Keyword(s):

Autonomous Vehicles ◽

Job Shop ◽

Optimal Solution ◽

Transit System ◽

Transit Systems ◽

Bus Transit ◽

Electric Bus ◽

Minimum Number ◽

First Come First Serve ◽

High Level

The bus transit system is promising to enable electric and autonomous vehicles for massive urban mobility, which relies on high-level automation and efficient resource management. Besides the on-road automation, the in-depot automated scheduling for battery recharging has not been adequately studied yet. This paper presents an integrated in-depot routing and recharging scheduling (IDRRS) problem, which is modeled as a constraint programming (CP) problem with Boolean satisfiability conditions (SAT). The model is converted to a flexible job-shop problem (FJSP) and is feasible to be solved by a CP-SAT solver for the optimal solution or feasible solutions with acceptable performance. This paper also presents a case study in Shanghai and compares the results from the FJSP model and the first-come first-serve (FCFS) method. The result demonstrates the allocation of routes and chargers under multiple scenarios with different numbers of chargers. The results show that the FJSP model shortens the delay and increases the time conservation for future rounds of operation than FCFS, while FCFS presents the simplicity of programming and better computational efficiency. The multiple random input test suggests that the proposed approach can decide the minimum number of chargers for stochastic charging requests. The proposed method can conserve the investment by increasing the utilization of automated recharging devices, improving vehicles’ in-depot efficiency.

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Evaluation of Cost Competitiveness of Electric Vehicles in Malaysia Using Life Cycle Cost Analysis Approach

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12135303 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (13) ◽

pp. 5303

Author(s):

Siti Indati Mustapa ◽

Bamidele Victor Ayodele ◽

Waznatol Widad Mohamad Ishak ◽

Freida Ozavize Ayodele

Keyword(s):

Cost Analysis ◽

Electric Vehicles ◽

Life Cycle Cost ◽

Hybrid Electric Vehicles ◽

Operating Costs ◽

Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽

Cost Of Ownership ◽

Transportation Sector ◽

Cost Competitiveness ◽

The Cost

The need to mitigate CO2 emissions from the transportation sector has necessitated the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and other forms of alternative vehicles. Despite the global rise of EVs demand as a complementary means of green transportations, the level of adoption in Malaysia is still not encouraging. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the cost competitiveness of EVs in comparison with Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and an Internal Combustion Vehicle (ICV) based on Malaysia scenarios. Using the existing data in Malaysia, life cost analysis (LCC) of two EVs was computed and compared with HEVs and ICVs. The study shows that Nissan leaf and BMW i3s EVs with LCC of $1.75 and $2.5 per km are not cost-competitive based on prevalent data available in Malaysia compared to the HEVs and ICV. Based on the sensitivity analysis, changes in the components of the operating costs significantly influence the accumulated cost of ownership of the EVs whereas the cost of ownership of the HEVs and ICVs did not experience any significant influence. The findings from this study could serve as bases for policymakers to formulate appropriate policies and strategies to improve the competitiveness of EVs in Malaysia.

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Energy After COVID

Current History ◽

10.1525/curh.2020.119.820.317 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 119 (820) ◽

pp. 317-322

Author(s):

Michael T. Klare

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Electric Vehicles ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Fossil Fuel ◽

White Collar ◽

Peak Oil ◽

Business Travel ◽

Reduce Energy Consumption ◽

The Cost ◽

Energy Companies

By transforming patterns of travel and work around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the transition to renewable energy and the decline of fossil fuels. Lockdowns brought car commuting and plane travel to a near halt, and the mass experiment in which white-collar employees have been working from home may permanently reduce energy consumption for business travel. Renewable energy and electric vehicles were already gaining market share before the pandemic. Under pressure from investors, major energy companies have started writing off fossil fuel reserves as stranded assets that are no longer worth the cost of extracting. These shifts may indicate that “peak oil demand” has arrived earlier than expected.

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The Cost Impact of Basel III Across ASEAN-5: Macro Stress Testing of Malaysia’s Banking Sector

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3274994 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

John Taskinsoy

Keyword(s):

Stress Testing ◽

Banking Sector ◽

Basel Iii ◽

Cost Impact ◽

The Cost

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Screening for Melanoma by Primary Health Care Physicians: A Cost—Effectiveness Analysis

Journal of Medical Screening ◽

10.1177/096914139600300112 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 47-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Afaf Girgis ◽

Philip Clarke ◽

Robert C Burton ◽

Rob W Sanson—Fisher

Keyword(s):

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Screening Programme ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Economic Assessment ◽

Screening Tests ◽

Family Practitioners ◽

Effectiveness Analysis ◽

The Cost ◽

Primary Health Care Physicians ◽

Melanoma Screening

Background and design— Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and the incidence is estimated to be doubling every 10 years. Despite advances in the early detection and treatment of melanoma about 800 people still die nationally of the disease each year. A possible strategy for further reducing the mortality from melanoma is an organised programme of population screening for unsuspected lesions in asymptomatic people. Arguments against introducing melanoma screening have been based on cost and the lack of reliable data on the efficacy of any screening tests. To date, however, there has been no systematic economic assessment of the cost effectiveness of melanoma screening. The purpose of this research was to determine whether screening may be potentially cost effective and, therefore, warrants further investigation. A computer was used to simulate the effects of a hypothetical melanoma screening programme that was in operation for 20 years, using cohorts of Australians aged 50 at the start of the programme. Based on this simulation, cost—effectiveness estimates of melanoma screening were calculated. Results— Under the standard assumptions used in the model, and setting the sensitivity of the screening test (visual inspection of the skin) at 60%, cost effectiveness ranged from Aust$6853 per life year saved for men if screening was undertaken five yearly to $12137 if screening was two yearly. For women, it ranged from $11 102 for five yearly screening to $20 877 for two yearly screening. Conclusion— The analysis suggests that a melanoma screening programme could be cost effective, particularly if five yearly screening is implemented by family practitioners for men over the age of 50.

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