The role of shared autonomous vehicle systems in delivering smart urban mobility: A systematic review of the literature

Emerging autonomous driving technologies are claimed to create new opportunities for realizing smart and sustainable urban mobility initiatives. In this perspective, some studies identified shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) as being a crucial element of on-demand mobility services. There is, however, limited evidence from practice on what roles SAVs play in delivering smart urban mobility. In other words, SAV in the context of smart urban mobility is an understudied area of research with limited review studies. To bridge this gap in the literature, this study aims to investigate and map out the service attributes and impacts of SAVs on urban mobility, infrastructure and land use, travel behavior, and the environment. As the methodological approach, the paper adopts the systematic literature review technique. The study findings reveal that: (a) Providing dynamic ridesharing services could result in significant reduction of SAV fleet size, congestion, travel cost, parking demand, vehicle ownership, and emissions; (b) Positive environmental outcomes could be enhanced with full electrification of SAV fleet through renewable energy charging; (c) Integration of SAV, as a smart urban mobility system with dynamic ridesharing services, could promote sustainability and social and transportation equity, and their adoption. In the light of the findings, this study advocates the consolidation of urban/transport policy to achieve desired urban mobility outcomes.

Automated summary

SAVs are considered crucial for smart urban mobility, yet there is limited evidence on their impacts. Dynamic ridesharing services can significantly reduce urban congestion and environmental issues, while full electrification of SAV fleet can further decrease emissions and promote environmental protection.