V2G-capable shared autonomous electric vehicles fleet: Economic viability and environmental co-benefits

Abstract

The pursuit of energy efficiency, increasing consumption of non-renewable energy related to fossil fuels, and concerns about the impact of climate change are some of the primary motivators for the introduction of electric vehicles. Battery electric vehicles (BEV) may be used in potential commercial autonomous taxi fleets; in addition to saving energy and maintenance costs, the introduction of these electric vehicles will also provide fleet operators with possible vehicle-to-grid (V2G) service opportunities. This study investigates the life-cycle total cost, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy consumption of automated shared vehicle fleets consisted of internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles with 100-mile short-range and 250-mile long-range capable of achieving the same level of service. The results show that the 250-mile long-range electric vehicle fleet with V2G service has significant advantages in cost, emissions, and energy consumption.