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M-1A-10 - Vehicle Automation

Vehicle Automation is the use of advanced technologies to automate driving tasks, potentially leading to increased safety, efficiency, and reduced emissions. Vehicle automation encompasses various levels, from driver assistance systems (such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist) to fully autonomous vehicles that require no human intervention. Automated vehicles can optimise driving patterns, reduce congestion, and enable more efficient use of road space.

Vehicle automation is outlined in section 10.2.3 (digitalisation) of (IPCC AR6 WG3 2022)1.

Mitigation Objective

The primary goal is for a shift to TBD.

Mitigation Potential

Potential

The AR6 report and the literature referenced by it do not present any reliable estimates for the mitigation potential of vehicle automation.

Similarly, vehicle automation could improve vehicle efficiency and reduce congestion, which would in turn reduce emissions (Vahidi and Sciarretta 2018; Massar et al. 2021). On the other hand, if autonomous cars make driving more convenient, they could reduce demand for transit (Auld et al. 2017; Sonnleitner et al. 2021). Paradoxically, autonomous cars could provide access to marginal groups such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and those who cannot drive, which could in turn increase travel demand (as measured by pkm) (Harper et al. 2016).

- (IPCC AR6 WG3 2022)1

However, autonomous cars could make car travel more convenient, removing users from transit systems and increasing access to marginalised groups, which would in turn increase vehicle-kilometre travelled (Harper et al. 2016; Auld et al. 2017; Sonnleitner et al. 2021).

- (IPCC AR6 WG3 2022)1

Modelling

This mitigation method is not currently modelled with any Transition Elements.

Primary Reference

The primary reference for this mitigation measure is (IPCC AR6 WG3 2022)1.

Secondary References

No useful secondary references have been found that support this mitigation option.

  1. IPCC AR6 WG3. 2022. Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Edited by Priyadarshi R. Shukla, Jim Skea, Raphael Slade, Alaa Al Khourdajie, Renée van Diemen, David McCollum, Minal Pathak, et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157926. ↩↩↩↩

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