Smart Mobility

We need an effective, integrated, clean and smart mobility system  to support behavioural and lifestyle change. One key example involves electric connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) that will not only afford increased mobility opportunities for more individuals (possible energy cost) such as individuals who cannot drive due to physical and/or cognitive impairments but will also operate in a more efficient manner when in transit (energy benefit). 

Such vehicle technology also lends itself well to promoting mobility as a service (MAAS) and/or shared ownership such that we could see a reduction in the number of road vehicles used for domestic, pleasure and work commute purposes. 

This research theme will explore in-depth user needs and expectations, attitudes and behaviours associated with MAAS and shared ownership of electric powered CAVs. An evaluation strategy will involve multiple testing periods to examine possible longer-term behaviour change due to experience.

Working in a sector so large, a systemic approach is necessary to implement radical technological change. The DTE Network+, with its extensive contacts, will push to investigate all of the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal links hampering or helping the future of mobility. This will allow our expert research partners in both academia and industry; to retain a whole system outlook and work to understand issues ranging from human behaviour to affordability.

Bi-directional energy and information will be commonplace in a decarbonised future. Consequently, data analytics, energy exchange-based systems e.g. V2G – and cyber security are at the forefront of this network theme. A focus will also be placed on exploiting efficiency savings through flexible storage and demand side response. Furthermore, Big Data and the Internet of Things (IOT) is set to produce a new marketplace with specific revenue growth in the mobility sector. It is critical to be at the forefront of the development of these services. 

Associated Projects and Networks

Transport Futures Research Network

cardiff.ac.uk/research/explore/research-units/transport-futures-research-network

Cross Disciplinary Research - Sustainable Transport 

cardiff.ac.uk/engineering/research/cross-disciplinary-research/sustainable-transport

Excelence in Human Factors research @ Cardiff University 

https://www.hufex.co.uk/

Centre of Excellence for Re-engineering for Electric Mobility (RE4EM) 

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/re4em/index.page