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| The Role of Innovative Technology
for Promoting Sustainable Mobility |
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Principal Investigators
MIT:
J.Heywood
ETH: J.Brandli
PSI: A.Wokaun
This project
studies criteria for the successful introduction of technical
solutions supporting sustainable mobility. As new technologies will
only be successful with the acceptance of societal stakeholders,
such as consumers, automotive and energy companies, and public
authorities, it is necessary to understand and reflect their views
in the assessment of potential policy measures.
This research
is concerned with the supply side of mobility and transport as well
as interactions between supply and demand, and explores options to
provide the necessary transportation services and goods to people
affordably with minimum use of resources and environmental impact.
This research intersects with the project on Fundamental Patterns of
Travel Behavior, which is concerned with the demand side of mobility
and transport.
Goals/Objectives
The overall goal of
this research is to contribute to policy assessments for
low-emission car fleets that integrate the perspective of real-world
stakeholders in a realistic manner. The research project has three
specific objectives as follows:
- To assess various vehicle technologies according to their
economic and ecological criteria
- To analyze the traffic system as a whole, looking at the
interplay between the various demand and supply options
- To assess mobility from the standpoint of sustainability using
quantitative indicators
Results/Findings
The
key result of this research is a comprehensive rating of policies
that support the introduction of low-emission vehicles. Such rating
is based on a long-term, scenario-based integrated assessment that
incorporates various technological, social, economic, and
environmental assessment criteria. To generate such results, three
main research components are envisioned:
- Stakeholder dialogue: Views of stakeholders need to be heard
to better understand the interplay between the demand from key
stakeholders, and the supply options offered by automobile
manufacturers and supported by supply side policy. Stakeholder
views will be analyzed through literature search, questionnaires,
and dialogue, in order to develop realistic scenarios.
- Analytical modeling: Modeling studies will be designed to
identify windows of opportunity for a transition into a more
sustainable transportation system. Systems dynamics modeling will
be used to capture the dynamics of the transportation system as
part of society with its actors, and to incorporate stakeholder
insights.
- Socioeconomic analysis: Cost-benefit analysis and other
methods for socio-economic analysis will be applied to generate
further insight in major costs, benefits, and barriers of policy
measures that are put in place to induce such
transitions.
First case studies focus on the role of
government intervention on both the demand and supply side of the
automobile market. MIT will take lead on analyzing policies to
reduce fuel consumption of the U.S. automobile fleet. PSI will carry
out similar analysis on the Swiss car fleet. ETH and PSI will
analyze policy measures to support the market introduction of
innovative cars including natural gas cars in
Switzerland.
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