Drivers of Transportation: Shared Automated Mobility-On-Demand

About the Project

The workshop series Drivers of Transportation Fuel Demand provides a forum for discussing key sustainability issues in transportation and current policy strategies to address them. In particular, much emphasis is placed on the adoption of fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles for road transportation, innovation in fuel and vehicle technology mixes and mobility-on-demand.

Key Points

Major transformations are taking place in the mobility sector; where a transportation system comprising of shared, fully electric, connected and driverless cars available on demand may be on the cusp of emergence. Technological developments and preferences of the next generation toward pay-per-use mobility instead of owning a vehicle is leading this innovation.

Mobility-on-demand could critically alter key aspects of travel behavior such as vehicle ownership, miles traveled and use of mass transit; potentially causing major changes in the automotive and energy sector.

Enhanced personal mobility and economic gains from mobility-on-demand are expected to affect societal welfare — impacting energy demand, greenhouse gas emission, alternative fuel vehicle adoption and congestion. The outcome depends on whether it replaces mass transit or personal driving, which will decide if there is an increase or decrease in vehicle miles traveled.

Satisfying consumer needs and delivering financial and social value would lead the future evolution, underlining the importance of understanding mobility from a consumer’s perspective.