Autonomous vehicles and electric propulsion systems are said to offer myriad benefits, chief among them greater efficiency and reduced emissions. Now, however, one study has found that electric robotaxis may in fact lead to an overall increase in emissions.
According to a recent report from Automotive News, which cites a study conducted by researchers from Harvard and MIT published in Environmental Research Letters, the low costs of using electric robotaxis may entice travelers to go on trips they would otherwise not take, as well as take trips alone rather than pool rides with other travelers. As such, these two factors may in fact result in a rise in overall emissions, even though vehicles equipped with electric powertrains are in fact cleaner than equivalent vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines.
Of course, the issue over emissions and transportation solutions is hugely complex, with numerous factors to consider. According to Elizabeth Irvin, who serves as senior transportation analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, electric robotaxis could indeed become part of the solution to reduce emissions when integrated into a renewable, zero-emission electricity grid, with widespread ride pooling, and deployed in conjunction with accessible and reliable mass transit. However, that involves quite a few caveats that may or may not come to fruition.
Indeed, commuters in the U.S. are by and large against pooling rides via ride-share services, with concerns over privacy, security, and extended ride times. That aversion may actually increase with the widespread adoption of electric robotaxis, according to a report from the University of California, Davis Institute of Transportation Studies.
What’s more, the Harvard and MIT research finds that inexpensive electric robotaxis may also diminish the ridership base for mass transit, thus impacting emissions even further.
Of course, there are further wrinkles worth pointing out. The Harvard and MIT case study is based in San Francisco, which has a higher adoption rate for hybrid and electric vehicles, thus setting the bar higher for emissions improvements as compared to a less green city. Additionally, the electricity source used to charge the electric vehicles is a major determining factor in how green they actually are.
General Motors debuted its own electric robotaxi, Cruise Origin, in January of 2020. GM began manufacturing the first batch of pre-production Cruise Origin AVs in June. The automaker also recently announced that it was increase EV and AV investment to $35 billion by 2025.
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Comments
The “low cost” of these drones are a myth. The government will find a way to tax the rides for road maintenance. You will be paying just as much if not more per mile to ride in one of these things.
Who will want to ride in these any how? The AI is not ready, it’s just not. This aside, an unattended vehicle is not going to be clean, it’s just not. People will spill their drinks, leave their trash, etc., etc. The vehicle will only look like the marketing on launch day. After that, they will look and smell just like any other cab, except worse because no one is around to curb bad behavior while in transit.
Even if more people start utilizing Ride share, this report is so stupid.
Anyone that understands what is happening will realize that in the Future all these “Rare” Earth Minerals will all be closed loop recycled and almost all energy will come from some form of Renewables.
I am not going to say for sure but I would take a wild guess that this study was funded by the Fossil Fuel Industry or by a Group that stands to lose a tooooooon of money with the new Shift to Renewables.
the opposite is true.
Here something you might want to look up, Oil is a renewable source. Its constantly being made by earth and decaying animals and plants. This is all a pipe dream and will only be good for big cities like New York and chicago the rest of the country will have to rely on good old fashion gasoline and oil. Electric is fine for some but will not be the holy grail so many think its going to be.
Sure lets wait another 50 Million Years to form more Oil…Where are you getting your Facts from?
Lmfao. Wtf happened to your brain cells. Oil is not renewable. Meaning we can’t continue to use it without our planets average temperature becoming an oven. Just because your ice cream cone hasn’t melted, doesn’t mean someone else’s hasn’t. Global Warming and Climate Change are in tandem and go hand in hand. The temperature may go down in one region, but severely go up in another, and same goes for precipitation.
Just shut up every time you comment it’s gets more ridiculous. The planet is not becoming an oven. Now go beat off to your science magazine
Oh you mean like it has for the past oh millions of years or so? I love how idiots like you think that climate change started the moment a motor vehicle was introduced on the road. So what caused the climate to change into the ice age or the big shift in climate that killed off the dinosaurs all those years ago? There were no cars or factories or air conditioners around back then. And your type thought back in the 70’s that we would run out of oil well before the year 2000 with all kinds of hysteria and fear! And here we are with plenty of over supply for years to come in the year 2021.
How do explain the “global warming” after the last Ice Age?
My wish is that robotaxis will eventually become sufficiently functional and economical to make most cars and passenger trains and buses obsolete.
My wish is that these robotaxis will become so unreliable and dangerous that they are all yanked off the road.
I don’t have a problem with electric taxis, local trucks and commuter cars and trains being electric. But it’s going to happen gradually. GM and other that claim they’re going to be all electric by a certain year, might be a bit optimistic. Sooooo many people have been duped by “science” into thinking we’re doomed by a certain point in time unless we go all green now. Truth is the earths temperature has been rising and falling over millions of years. And if you read the articles written by sane climate scientists, they can point out what has caused these changes. Activity on the sun, volcanic eruption, smoke from forrest fires contribute as factors to the increase in temps. Remember years ago this same group of climate scientists were trying to convince us we were headed into another ice age! Climate change is just an attempt by politicians, and liberal scientists to grab power and money, by controlling the freedom and behavior of the masses, and commit trillions of dollars to frivolous pursuits in the name of “saving” us from ourselves. Should be mindful and protective of the environment, but let’s not get stupid in the process. Remember it takes 100 tons of coal to produce the steel required to make a mast for one wind turbine.
Right on Jeff!