Architecture and Potential of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

The transport sector is under an intensive renovation process. Innovative concepts such as shared and intermodal mobility, mobility as a service, and connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) will contribute to the transition toward carbon neutrality and are foreseen as crucial parts of future mobility systems, as demonstrated by worldwide efforts in research and industry communities. The main driver of CAVs development is road safety, but other benefits, such as comfort and energy saving, are not to be neglected. CAVs analysis and development usually focus on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) research themes and less on the entire vehicle system. Many studies on specific aspects of CAVs are available in the literature, including advanced powertrain control strategies and their effects on vehicle efficiency. However, most studies neglect the additional power consumption due to the autonomous driving system. This work aims to assess uncertain CAVs’ efficiency improvements and offers an overview of their architecture. In particular, a combination of the literature survey and proper statistical methods are proposed to provide a comprehensive overview of CAVs. The CAV layout, data processing, and management to be used in energy management strategies are discussed. The data gathered are used to define statistical distribution relative to the efficiency improvement, number of sensors, computing units and their power requirements. Those distributions have been employed within a Monte Carlo method simulation to evaluate the effect on vehicle energy consumption and energy saving, using optimal driving behaviour, and considering the power consumption from additional CAV hardware. The results show that the assumption that CAV technologies will reduce energy consumption compared to the reference vehicle, should not be taken for granted. In 75% of scenarios, simulated light-duty CAVs worsen energy efficiency, while the results are more promising for heavy-duty vehicles.