How autonomous vehicles can contribute to emission reductions, fuel economy improvements and safety?

This chapter covers the role that connected and autonomous vehicles could play in reducing vehicle emissions through sensing and sharing through efficient communications systems, journey optimization, mass reduction due to safer vehicle operation and optimized vehicles. However, these are not without their challenges. Considerations of user-centred design for trust and acceptance; design for comfort and safety; fast, efficient and secure communication with other road users and infrastructure; new methods for validation and certification all need to be considered as a holistic system in order for expected benefits to be achieved at a significant level. But while, technologically, we can expect greater levels of efficiency, which will play a contributory role in reducing vehicle emissions and energy usage at the level of the individual vehicle, at the system level the picture is less clear.