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jmetaB0293c7ac78daf2b1d8f07f127b6cc7ea2f907b7a07d88f6bf434945b5adc848009@631ad085bb5f3d4e7077c362fe9bc47b8532fb5ae611165bcb7ddb8845e682eerss.itemmetarss.netMd'<item><title>Autonomous Vehicles Can Make All Cars More Efficient</title><link>https://spectrum.ieee.org/autonomous-vehicles-fuel-efficiency</link><description><![CDATA[ <img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/illustration-of-a-road-scene-with-green-yellow-red-and-white-boxes-around-each-car.jpg?id=52524876&width=2000&height=1500&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Autonomous vehicles have been highly anticipated because of the possibility that they will greatly <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/keeping-cars-from-crashing" target="_self">reduce or perhaps eliminate the collisions</a> that cause more than <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/safety-and-mobility/global-status-report-on-road-safety-2023" target="_blank">one million deaths each year</a>. But safety isn’t the only potential benefit self-driving cars can offer: Teams of researchers around the world are showing that autonomous vehicles can also drive more efficiently than humans can. A <a href="https://www.energy.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Energy</a> program called <a href="https://arpa-e.energy.gov/technologies/programs/nextcar" target="_blank">NEXTCAR</a> (Next-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Automated On-Road Vehicles), for example, is betting that a mix of new smart vehicle technologies can boost fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent.<br/></p><p>As part of the NEXTCAR program, San Antonio, Texas-based <a href="https://www.swri.org/" target="_blank">Southwest Research Institute</a> (SwRI) showcased <a href="https://www.swri.org/work-us/internal-rd/2021/automotive-transportation/10-r6138" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">advances in autonomous vehicle technology</a> that will improve vehicles’ fuel economy—including the fuel efficiency of <em>non</em>-autonomous automobiles that just so happen to be in traffic with autonomous ones. The demonstration was held at the <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/arpa-e-summit-2024" target="_blank">ARPA-E Energy Inovation Summit</a> in Dallas in late May.</p><h2>Making an Efficient Autonomous Vehicle</h2><p>The SwRI team retrofitted a 2021 <a href="https://www.cars.com/research/honda-clarity_plug_in_hybrid-2021/" target="_blank">Honda Clarity</a> hybrid with basic autonomous features such as perception and localization. On the day of the summit, they drove the vehicle along a route encircling the parking lot of the convention center where the summit was held. SWRI’s <a href="https://www.swri.org/press-release/swri%E2%80%99s-ranger-localization-technology-allows-precise-automated-driving" target="_blank">Ranger localization system</a>, which the researchers installed on the Honda, has a downward-facing camera that captures images of the ground. By initially mapping the driving surface, Ranger can later localize the vehicle with centimeter-level accuracy, using the ground’s unique “fingerprint” combined with <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/gps" target="_self">GPS</a> data. This precision ensures the vehicle drives with exceptional control.</p><p>“It’s almost like riding on rails,” says <a href="https://theorg.com/org/southwest-research-institute/org-chart/stas-gankov" target="_blank">Stas Gankov</a>, a researcher in SwRI’s powertrain engineering group. For this project, his group collaborated with other divisions at the institute, such as the intelligence systems division, which developed the autonomy software stack added to the Honda Clarity.</p><p>Just as important, however, was the addition of an eco-driving module, a key innovation by SwRI. The eco-mode determines the most economical driving speed by considering various factors such as traffic lights and surrounding vehicles. This system employs predictive control algorithms to help solve a tricky optimization problem: How can cars minimize energy consumption while maintaining efficient traffic flow? SwRI’s eco-mode aims to reduce unnecessary acceleration and deceleration in order to optimize energy usage without impeding other vehicles.</p><p class="pull-quote">“Autonomous vehicles operating in eco-mode influence the driving behavior of all the cars behind them.” <strong>—Stas Gankov, Southwest Research Institute</strong></p><p>To illustrate how the technology works, the team installed a traffic signal along the demonstration pathway. Gankov says an actual traffic light timer from a traffic signal cabinet was connected to a TV screen, providing a visual for attendees. A <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/dedicated-short-range-communications-dsrc-service" target="_blank">dedicated short range communications (DRSC) radio</a> was also attached, broadcasting the signal’s phase and timing information to the vehicle. This setup enabled the vehicle to anticipate the traffic light’s actions far more accurately than a human driver could.<br/><br/>For instance, Gankov says, if the Honda Clarity was approaching a red light that was about to turn green, it would know the light was due to change and so avoid wasting energy by braking and then accelerating again. Conversely, if the car was approaching the signal as it was about to turn from green to yellow to red, the vehicle would release the accelerator and let friction slow it to a crawl, avoiding unnecessary acceleration in an attempt to beat the light.</p><p>These autonomous driving strategies can lead to significant energy savings, benefiting not just the autonomous vehicles themselves, but also the entire traffic ecosystem.</p><p>“In a regular traffic situation, autonomous vehicles operating in eco-mode influence the driving behavior of all the cars behind them,” says Gankov. “The result is that even vehicles with Level 0 autonomy use fuel more sparingly.”<br/></p><h2>The Grand Vehicle Energy Plan</h2><p>SwRI has been a participant in the NEXTCAR initiative <a href="https://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/06/20170601-arpae.html" target="_blank">since 2017</a>. The program’s initial phase involved 11 teams, including SwRI, <a href="https://www.mtu.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michigan Technological University</a>, <a href="https://www.osu.edu/" target="_blank">Ohio State University</a>, and the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of California Berkeley</a>. SwRI, in collaboration with the <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank">University of Michigan</a>, focused on optimizing a Toyota Prius Prime, already known for its fuel efficiency, to achieve a 20 percent improvement in energy usage through optimization algorithms and <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/treat-smart-city-tech-like-sewers-or-better" target="_blank">wireless communicating with its surroundings</a>. This was accomplished without modifying the Toyota’s powertrain or compromising its emissions. The team utilized power split optimization, balancing the use of the gas engine and battery propulsion system for maximum efficiency.</p><p>Building on the success of NEXTCAR’s first phase, the program entered its <a href="https://www.greencarcongress.com/2021/03/20210312-nextcarii.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">second phase in 2021</a>, with just SwRI, UC Berkeley, Michigan Tech and Ohio State remaining. The focus of NEXTCAR 2 has been determining how much automation could further enhance energy efficiency. Gankov explains that while the first phase demonstrated a <a href="https://arpa-e.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2_Atkinson_ARPA-E_NEXTCAR_Year.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">20 percent energy efficiency improvement</a> over a baseline 2016 or 2017 model year vehicle with no autonomous driving capabilities, through the addition of <a data-linked-post="2667896584" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/v2x-cars" target="_blank">vehicle-to-everything connectivity</a> alone, the second phase is exploring the potential for an additional 10 percent improvement by incorporating autonomous features.</p><p>Gankov says SwRI initially intended to partner with <a href="https://automobiles.honda.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Honda</a> for NEXTCAR’s second phase, but when contracting issues arose, the nonprofit proceeded independently. Utilizing an autonomy platform developed by SwRI’s intelligence systems division, the NEXTCAR team equipped the Honda Clarity with what amounted to <a href="https://www.synopsys.com/automotive/autonomous-driving-levels.html" target="_blank">Level 4 autonomy</a> in a box. This autonomy system features a drive-by-wire system, allowing the vehicle to automatically adjust its speed and steering based on inputs from the autonomy software stack and the eco-driving module. This ensures the vehicle prioritizes safety while optimizing for energy efficiency.</p><p>Employing techniques like efficient highway merging were key strategies in their approach to making the most of each tank of fuel or battery charge. “For example, in heavy traffic on the highway, calculating the most optimal way to merge onto the highway without negatively affecting the energy efficiency of the vehicles already on the highway is crucial,” Gankov noted.</p><p>As NEXTCAR 2 enters its final year, the demonstration at the ARPA-E Summit served as a testament to the progress made in autonomous vehicle technology and its potential to dramatically improve energy efficiency in transportation.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 03 Jul 2024 11:00:02 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://spectrum.ieee.org/autonomous-vehicles-fuel-efficiency</guid><category>Arpa-e</category><category>Autonomous vehicles</category><category>Climate tech</category><category>Fuel efficiency</category><category>Southwest research institute</category><dc:creator>Willie D. Jones</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/illustration-of-a-road-scene-with-green-yellow-red-and-white-boxes-around-each-car.jpg?id=52524876&amp;width=980"/></item>