Technical Paper
ARPA-E's NEXTCAR Vision: Steering Autonomous Energy-Efficient Breakthroughs in Connected Mobility
2024-04-09
2024-01-1990
In 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that the transportation sector led U.S. energy consumption, accounting for 36% of the total, with light-duty vehicles constituting 52% of this. Simultaneously, automotive transportation is experiencing a transformation, incorporating automated driving technologies and enhanced connectivity such as V2V, V2I, and V2X. These advancements not only enhance safety but also offer opportunities to optimize energy efficiency through real-time data. While Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) herald potential energy savings, an increase in Vehicle Miles Traveled driven by CAV convenience might offset these benefits, leading to heightened energy consumption. To tackle these challenges, Phase II of ARPA-E's NEXTCAR Program targets a 30% energy reduction in SAE J3016 L4 light-duty vehicles. Phase I achieved a 20% energy efficiency improvement over 2016-2017 baseline vehicles using SAE J3016 L1-L3 automation levels.