Could Self-Driving Cars Reduce Air Pollution?

By Ibtisam AbbasiReviewed by Laura ThomsonJul 30 2024

Autonomous vehicles are advancing rapidly and gaining widespread adoption. A key benefit is their ability to significantly reduce severe accidents resulting from human error. Moreover, they have gained considerable attention for offering substantial ecological advantages over traditional cars.

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A Brief Overview of Self-Driving Cars

An autonomous vehicle is designed to perceive and interpret the traffic environment, including other vehicles, pedestrians, and road obstacles, without requiring driver intervention.¹

SAE International, also known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, has defined and classified the level of automation a particular vehicle possesses. Level 0 stands for “No Driving Automation,” which means the car does not have an automated driving system, although it can have features like an anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic stability programme (ESP), and cruise control.

Level 1, "Driver Assistance," refers to vehicles with systems that provide constant assistance during acceleration, braking, and steering. Level 2, "Partial Driving Automation," is common in many current autonomous vehicles and includes advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS).

Level 3 offers "Conditional Driving Automation," where the vehicle can take over driving under certain conditions with the driver's consent, though it is not yet widespread. In Level 4, referred to as “High Driving Automation” vehicles can drive themselves, and in the event of failure, they do not require any human intervention under specific conditions.

Level 5 is the final and most advanced form of a fully autonomous vehicle that does not require any input from the user, even during an accident. Such vehicles do not have pedals or a steering wheel because the technology can manage various driving scenarios and situations on its own.²

Several promising technologies play a vital role in the efficient operation of autonomous vehicles. These include AI, safety and security systems, cameras, network infrastructure, and sensor technologies like radar and lidar (laser-light radar). All these technologies must work together seamlessly to ensure autonomous vehicles' safe and successful operation.³

Air Pollution and Climate Change

With rapidly growing industries and human activities severely affecting the environment, the Earth's climate is rapidly changing due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen-based emissions (such as nitrous oxide), methane (CH₄), and fluorinated gases. Other chemicals that affect the climate include solid and liquid aerosols and ground-level ozone. The primary GHG emitted by human activities is carbon dioxide (CO₂).⁴

The transportation sector was the largest source of CO₂ emissions in 2022, with at least 35% of the total US CO₂ emissions released by automobiles. Furthermore, 28% of US GHG emissions were primarily due to fossil fuel combustion. This makes the transportation industry one of the leading sources of emissions, making it crucial to focus on a new generation of eco-friendly cars and reduce harmful emissions.

Amnesty International’s Climate advisor Ann Harrison stressed that the climate ‘red alert’ and continued toxic air quality in many parts of South Asia are signs of danger to the lives of over one billion people. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India rank the lowest in the air quality index, with air pollution seriously endangering the lives of humans and animals.⁵

Air pollution is a universal issue. However, low—and middle-income countries (LMICs) have comparatively higher ambient air pollution rates than most developed countries. When analyzing the air pollution in these areas, several factors must be considered, such as rapid city expansion, industrialization, and increasing pollution sources. These findings suggest the need for future studies to identify the factors influencing exposure at the city level.⁶

Do Self-Driving Cars Reduce Pollution?

Many research studies have confirmed that autonomous vehicles can reduce greenhouse gas emissions effectively. Notably, drivers searching for parking account for about one-third of city traffic, and roadside parking maneuvers significantly contribute to urban carbon emissions.

Researchers have found that parking hunts cause approximately 2–11% of total emissions. Recent studies indicate that fully automated vehicles could achieve a 5–11% reduction in emissions by minimizing the need to circulate for parking in cities. Shared ownership of AVs could also drastically reduce parking space requirements and decrease vehicles searching for parking by up to 80%.

Eco-driving, or "Hypermiling," involves driving techniques that optimize speed and acceleration to enhance fuel efficiency. This practice minimizes braking and acceleration cycles, pushing fuel economy limits. Most modern autonomous vehicles have been integrated with machine learning algorithms that implement artificial intelligence to automatically utilize eco-driving.

Researchers have simulated a mixed fleet of autonomous vehicles on Southern California highways and found that eco-driving could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10–20% on congested highways. However, on heavily congested roads, a coordinated eco-driving system would achieve a more modest reduction in emissions, estimated at 5–10%.⁷

In a study, researchers simulated the future conditions of Metro Vancouver with a fleet of ordinary petroleum-based vehicles and connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV). The study primarily focused on changes in vehicle fleet emissions from adopting connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in Metro Vancouver for 2030 and 2040, utilizing the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES). The simulation models indicated reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in all scenarios. At best, CAVs decreased GHG emissions by 20% compared to non-CAV conditions in 2040. At worst, the projections showed an 8% decrease in GHG emissions.⁸

Another recent study, performed by a research team of MIT, showcases a machine-learning method to manage a fleet of autonomous vehicles at signalized intersections, ensuring smooth traffic flow. The team performed computer simulations showing that using autonomous vehicles led to a significant reduction in fuel consumption along with the release of CO₂ and other harmful gases. The technique is most effective when all vehicles are autonomous, but significant fuel and emissions reductions are achieved even with just 25% of cars using the control algorithm.⁹

These findings confirm that autonomous vehicles are essential for reducing the harmful emissions of the transportation sector.

Owing to these advantageous features, companies readily invest in improving autonomous vehicles. Well-established global market players, including Microsoft and Nvidia, are critical investors in UK-based company Wayve’s recent funding round spearheaded by SoftBank. The startup is working on custom AI capabilities for autonomous vehicles and has raised US$1.05 billion.

The UK Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said self-driving vehicles could be on some of the country’s roads by 2026. The government's forthcoming rules for automated vehicles, expected to "unlock a transport revolution," are anticipated to be passed by parliament soon.¹⁰

Limitations and Future Perspectives of Self-Driving Cars

Various limitations and challenges have emerged in self-driving technology, casting doubt on autonomous vehicles' capabilities. Their inability to operate effectively in all weather and road conditions is a primary limitation. For instance, self-driving cars struggle with navigation in heavy rain or snow. Moreover, such vehicles may not identify ordinary road obstacles, such as potholes and construction sites, leading to malfunctions or accidents.

Several digital risks are associated with self-driving car technology, including data protection and privacy, since this modern digital technology can be easily hacked. A significant concern is hacking the system and operating software installed in these modern self-driving vehicles. Criminals could hijack self-driving vehicles and compromise the lives of the travelers inside.

Self-driving cars have come a long way, but they are still not perfect, and the improvements can only be achieved by further research and experimentation. Autonomous driving has made significant strides, yet there is room for improvement, achievable through continued research.

The sensors in these vehicles need to be improved to help further perceive the surrounding environment and provide information that allows the control system to decide when to steer and apply the brakes. Companies and researchers should perform studies that drastically improve the performance and reliability of these sensors.

Self-driving cars also face ethical and social challenges, with a major impact on employment opportunities and the equitable distribution of the technology's benefits and risks.

An interesting domain is to research how to incorporate ethical considerations into these systems, for instance, by establishing rules that promote safety and fairness or by involving the public in discussions about the technology.

Designing algorithms that prioritize the well-being of all individuals is another major avenue. Research into resilient, adaptive decision-making systems using more accurate and robust artificial intelligence techniques will further enhance the safety and trustworthiness of autonomous vehicles.¹¹

Autonomous vehicles are poised to dominate the roads shortly, positively impacting social and economic infrastructure. Research is essential to address technical and ethical challenges, ensuring the swift commercialization of this transformative technology.

References and Further Reading

1. Garsten, E. (2024). What Are Self-Driving Cars? The Technology Explained. (Online). Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/technology/article/self-driving-cars/?sh=3629ae0b5e07 [Accessed on May 25, 2024].
2. Faist (2023). What are the 6 levels of autonomous vehicles? (Online). Available at: https://www.faistgroup.com/news/autonomous-vehicles-levels/ [Accessed on May 25, 2024].
3. MIT Technology Review Insight (2019). Self-driving cars take the wheel. (Online). Available at: https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/02/15/137381/self-driving-cars-take-the-wheel/ [Accessed on May 25, 2024].
4. United States Environmental Protection Agency (2023). Overview of Greenhouse Gases. (Online). Available at: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases [Accessed on May 26, 2024].
5. Amnesty International (2024). Widening impact of climate change on air pollution in South Asia requires urgent international cooperation and assistance. (Online). Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/global-widening-impact-of-climate-change-on-air-pollution-in-south-asia-requires-urgent-international-cooperation-and-assistance/ [Accessed on May 26, 2024].
6. Behrer, P. et. al. (2024). A Surprising truth: Wealthy areas in low- and middle-income countries face higher ambient air pollution levels. (Online). Available at: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/developmenttalk/surprising-truth-wealthy-areas-low-and-middle-income-countries-face-higher-ambient [Accessed on May 26, 2024].
7. Massar M. et. al. (2021). Impacts of Autonomous Vehicles on Greenhouse Gas Emissions—Positive or Negative? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18(11). 5567. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115567
8. Le Hong, Z et. al. (2021). Air quality and greenhouse gas implications of autonomous vehicles in Vancouver, Canada. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 90, 102676. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102676
9. Zewe, A. et. al. (2022). On the road to cleaner, greener, and faster driving. (Online). Available at: https://news.mit.edu/2022/ai-autonomous-driving-idle-0517 [Accessed on May 28, 2024].
10. BBC. (2024). A UK firm developing artificial intelligence (AI) tech to power self-driving cars has raised $1.05bn (£840m) in funding. (Online). Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgypzg4edvo [Accessed on May 30, 2024].
11. Chougule, A. et. al. (2024). A Comprehensive Review on Limitations of Autonomous Driving and Its Impact on Accidents and Collisions. IEEE Open Journal of Vehicular Technology. vol. 5. 142-161. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/OJVT.2023.3335180

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