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- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-
(författare)
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Beyond Technology : Understanding societal impacts of implementing self-driving vehicle systems on road transport
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- During the last decade, self-driving vehicles have become a major topic of interest, promising to transform transport by making travel safer and more efficient. However, as we move closer to making these vehicles a reality, it has become clear that introducing them into society might not be as straightforward as once thought, and there are growing doubts about the benefits they are supposed to offer.In this thesis, I investigate the societal impacts of self-driving vehicles by exploring four aspects: reasons for researching self-driving vehicles, how these vehicles could be implemented, the societal impacts of fully implementing self-driving vehicles, and their relationship to sustainability goals.I find that the motivation for researching this topic is often opaque, and the existence of the technology itself is used as a justification for more research. Furthermore, most research into realising self-driving vehicles focuses on purely technical aspects such as designing better algorithms. However, I show that many challenges remain connected to the sociotechnical intertwinement of self-driving vehicles. For instance, I illustrate how they will interact with pedestrians and how services using self-driving vehicles would be practically organised.Additionally, self-driving vehicles are likely to impact many aspects of society, such as congestion, accessibility, and economic factors. However, I demonstrate that no single framework successfully captures all the identified societal impacts, which are likely to depend on diverse factors such as geographical variations.The impacts further affect sustainability, where new challenges are likely to emerge. I show that while current tools to govern the transport system are still relevant, a comprehensive approach is needed to ensure that policymakers make well-considered decisions. In conclusion, I call for a more balanced view of self-driving vehicles. Introducing this new technology requires careful planning and governance to ensure that self-driving vehicle systems genuinely enhance our quality of life and help build a sustainable future.
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| 2. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-
(författare)
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Exploring societal impacts of self-driving public transport using four-step transport models
- 2022
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- During the last decade, self-driving technology has become increasingly visible in the news, with the vision that people would enter vehicles that drive themselves, and that people could instead rest, read the newspaper, or have a meeting. However, these visions have mainly focused on the potential for car usage, even though public transport could benefit greatly from self-driving technology. For bus traffic, the bus driver accounts for half of the cost of driving, and savings on personnel costs could, for example, be reinvested in expanded public transport service or used to lower taxes.At the same time, more research has shown potential problems linked to self-driving technology, for example that more comfortable driving would lead to more traffic, which in turn would lead to increased emissions, higher noise levels in cities or further focus on car-centric infrastructure. For public transport, the driver's role in creating safety and acting as problem solvers has also been emphasized - who should I ask for directions if there is no knowledgeable driver on board?Various methods have previously been used to explore the social effects of self-driving technology and in this dissertation I have used so-called "four-stage models", more specifically the Swedish transport model Sampers. Four-stage models have been used for 50 years to evaluate effects on the transport system from e.g. infrastructure changes, but these models face new challenges, handling vehicles that drive by themselves. In my research, I have adjusted the model to simulate self-driving technology and investigated what effects this has on, for example, traffic volumes and emissions.In the three articles that are part of the dissertation, I have four main conclusions:Self-driving technology can mean large savings in costs for public transport, primarily for bus traffic but also to some extent for rail traffic. In addition, a smoother driving behaviour would mean more comfortable travel, which would increase the attractiveness of public transport. In addition, public transport not limited by, for example, driver schedules or current commercial conditions, could develop new types of services, such as on-demand public transport.Four-stage models have previously been used to model the transport system and have been shown to have good results, at least at an overall level. Within my research, I have made some adaptations of these models to mimic self-driving technology, but the models in their current form cannot consider, for example, vehicle sharing.It is important to point out that bus and train drivers currently perform many tasks that are not directly related to the driving of the vehicle, such as answering questions, maintaining social order among passengers and taking care of faults that occur during the trip. Today, self-driving technology cannot fulfil these roles.Self-driving technology for public transport would affect people's accessibility, driving style for vehicles, safety on board, how we plan traffic and the people who currently work as drivers. In fact, a multitude of societal effects have been identified, affecting all areas of transport. In addition, the effects are generally not similar across geographies, time units or for different actors, which further emphasizes that the total effect is not easy to summarize.
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| 3. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Frameworks for assessing societal impacts of automated driving technology
- 2022
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Ingår i: Transportation planning and technology (Print). - : Taylor & Francis. - 0308-1060 .- 1029-0354. ; 45:7, s. 545-572
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Numerous studies have studied the impacts of automated driving (AD) technology on e.g. accident rates or CO2 emissions using various frameworks. In this paper we present an overview of previous frameworks used for societal impacts and review their advantages and limitations. Additionally, we introduce the Total Impact Assessment (TIA) framework developed by the Swedish Transport Administration and use this framework to evaluate three scenarios for AD bus services in Stockholm. We conclude that the reviewed frameworks cover different aspects of AD technology, and that e.g. cybersecurity and biodiversity are areas largely neglected. Furthermore, most frameworks assume effects to be homogenous, when there may be large variation in e.g. perceived security. The TIA framework does not manage to include all societal aspects of AD technology, but has great benefits and manages to provide important insights of the societal impacts of AD technology, especially how effects may wary for different actors.
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| 4. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Frameworks for assessing societal impacts of self-driving technology
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Numerous studies have studied the impacts of self-driving technology on e.g. accident rates or CO2 emissions using various frameworks. In this paper we present an overview of previous frameworks used for societal impacts, and review their advantages and limitations. Additionally, we introduce the Total Impact Assessment (TIA) framework developed by the Swedish Transport Administration and use this framework to evaluate three scenarios for self-driving bus services in Stockholm. We conclude that the reviewed frameworks cover different aspects of self-driving technology, and that e.g. cybersecurity and biodiversity are areas neglected by most frameworks. Furthermore, most frameworks assume effects to be homogenous, when there may be large variation in e.g. perceived security. The TIA framework does not manage to include all societal aspects of self-driving technology, but has great benefits and manages to provide important insights of the societal impacts of self-driving technology, especially how effects may wary for different actors.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Will leisure trips be more affected than work trips by autonomous technology? : Modelling self-driving public transport and cars in Stockholm, Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: Transportation Research Part A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0965-8564 .- 1879-2375. ; 165, s. 1-19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Self-driving technology may lead to a paradigm shift for the transport industry with shared cars available to every-one. However, this vision has increasingly been challenged as too optimistic and unsubstantiated. In this study we explore societal impacts of using this technology for both cars and public transport and investigate differences depending on geography and trip purpose. Four scenarios were designed through workshops with 130 transport experts, modelled using a conventional four-step model for Stockholm, Sweden and evaluated in terms of changes to mode choice, number of trips and person kilometres.We find larger increases for non-commuting trips, i.e. service and leisure trips, than for commuting trips, questioning the view of the 'productive work trip' as self-driving technology's main impact on society. As these trips are primarily made outside of rush hours, this may lead to a changed transport system. Geographic differences are substantial and heavily dependent on the cost model for car alternatives, even indicating a reduction in car travel in rural areas if private ownership would be replaced by shared cars. Furthermore, walking and cycling levels decreased in all scenarios while enhancing public transport using self-driving technology had a limited impact on ridership.These results show that the impacts of self-driving technology may have varied societal impacts even within a region and may lead to increased car travel, especially off-peak. These conclusions stress the need for policies that are sensitive to both geography and time.
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| 7. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Will leisure trips be more affected than work trips by autonomous technology? Modelling self-driving public transport and cars in Stockholm, Sweden
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Self-driving technology may lead to a paradigm shift for the transport industry with shared cars available to everyone. However, this vision has increasingly been challenged as too optimistic and unsubstantiated. In this study we explore societal impacts of using this technology for both cars and public transport and investigate differences depending on geography and trip purpose. Four scenarios were designed through workshops with 130 transport experts, modelled using a conventional four-step model for Stockholm, Sweden and evaluated in terms of changes to mode choice, number of trips and person kilometres. We find larger increases for non-commuting trips, i.e. service and leisure trips, than for commuting trips, questioning the view of the ‘productive work trip’ as self-driving technology’s main impact on society. As these trips are primarily made outside of rush hours, this may lead to a changed transport system. Geographic differences are substantial and heavily dependent on the cost model for car alternatives, even indicating a reduction in car travel in rural areas if private ownership would be replaced by shared cars. Furthermore, walking and cycling levels decreased in all scenarios while enhancing public transport using self-driving technology has a limited impact on ridership. These results show that the impacts of self-driving technology may have varied societal impacts even within a region and may lead to increased car travel, especially off-peak. These conclusions stress the need for policies that are sensitive to both geography and time.
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| 8. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Will public transport be relevant in a self-driving future? A demand model simulation of four scenarios for Stockholm, Sweden
- 2020
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Ingår i: Transportation Research Procedia 49. - : Association for European Transport. - 2352-1465. ; , s. 60-69
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The public sector makes long-term investments in for example tram rail lines and highways based on forecasts of future travelling but generally do not consider the impacts of self-driving technology as a factor. Several papers have presented transport system wide simulations with self-driving cars, exploring changes in mode choice, energy demand or the potential for sharing. Demand traffic models have been used in several studies, looking at modal choice changes, but the general assumption is that the public transport service remains unchanged, despite a large potential for governments to enhance service or reduce costs. This paper examines the effects of self-driving technology on the transport system with Stockholm, Sweden as a case study, looking at four scenarios which were developed with input from 130 transport professionals from industry, academia and the public sector. Each of the scenarios include one "car" and one "public transport" mode, looking at changes in e.g. modal choice and person kilometers traveled. The national demand model Sampers is used for evaluation. The results indicate a decrease in walking and bicycling in all scenarios and a decrease in public transport travelling in scenarios with a taxi-like car service. Although this result would mean a shift from public transport to car travel, the majority of travel to and from central parts of Stockholm were still made by public transport.
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| 9. |
- Andreolli, Raphael, et al.
(författare)
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A review on real vehicle usage modelling of driverless multipurpose vehicles in vehicle routing problems
- 2023
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED 2023. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). ; , s. 385-394
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Real vehicle usage rarely matches the predictions made during early phases of vehicle development and sales processes at commercial road vehicle manufacturers. The automotive industry needs multidisciplinary vehicle design methods to predict real-world vehicle operations by considering the vehicle level and the transport system level simultaneously, in a more holistic approach. The aim of this study was to analyse how realistic vehicle usage of driverless multipurpose vehicles can be modelled in Vehicle Routing Problems (VRPs) by conducting a systematic literature review. We found that real vehicle usage modelling of driverless multipurpose vehicles in VRPs mainly depended on the following elements: VRP variant, energy consumption model, energy consumption rate class, number of vehicle-specific design variables and transport system-level factors. Furthermore, we identified in the literature five classes of energy consumption rate edge behaviour in VRPs. These findings can support decision-making in the modelling process to select the most suitable combination of elements, and their level of detail for the overall modelling aim and purpose.
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| 10. |
- Andreolli, Raphael, et al.
(författare)
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Energy Consumption Evaluation of Emerging and Current Vehicle Fleets in Urban Logistics
- 2024
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Ingår i: 10th Transportation Research Arena, Dublin, Ireland, 15-18 April 2024.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Driverless multipurpose vehicles (DMVs) are an emerging vehicle concept for urban heavy-duty transport. However, little is known about their effect on urban road transport systems. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyse the total fleet energy consumption of DMVs for specific transport operations in urban logistics compared to heavy- duty battery and combustion vehicles. A novel electric vehicle routing problem was used to simulate in total 96 case-studies of operations with varying network and vehicle fleet properties. We found that the combustion vehicle fleets consumed significantly more energy for the same operation compared to the electric vehicle fleets. Although the DMV fleet and battery electric vehicle fleet showcased similar energy consumption for most case-studies, there were several operations where the DMV fleet consumed less energy and required a smaller fleet size. This study highlights the potential benefits of DMV fleets in urban logistics operations in terms of reducing total fleet energy consumption and fleet size.
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