When human beings are like drunk robots: Driverless vehicles,ethics, and the future of transport

It is often argued that driverless vehicles will save lives. In this paper, we treat the ethical case for driverless vehicles seriously and show that it has radical implications for the future of transport. After briefly discussing the current state of driverless vehicle technology, we suggest that systems that rely upon human supervision are likely to be dangerous when used by ordinary people in real-world driving conditions and are unlikely to satisfy the desires of consumers. We then argue that the invention of fully autonomous vehicles that pose a lower risk to third parties than human drivers will establish a compelling case against the moral permissibility of manual driving. As long as driverless vehicles aren’t safer than human drivers, it will be unethical to sell them. Once they are safer than human drivers when it comes to risks to 3rd parties, then it should be illegal to drive them: at that point human drivers will be the moral equivalent of drunk robots. We also describe two plausible mechanisms whereby this ethical argument may generate political pressure to have it reflected in legislation. Freeing people from the necessity of driving, though, will transform the relationship people have with their cars, which will in turn open up new possibilities for the transport uses of the automobile. The ethical challenge posed by driverless vehicles for transport policy is therefore to ensure that the most socially and environmentally beneficial of these possibilities is realised. We highlight several key policy choices that will determine how likely it is that this challenge will be met.     

Help or hindrance? The travel,energy and carbon impacts of highly automated vehicles

Experts predict that new automobiles will be capable of driving themselves under limited conditions within 5–10 years, and under most conditions within 10–20 years. Automation may affect road vehicle energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a host of ways, positive and negative, by causing changes in travel demand, vehicle design, vehicle operating profiles, and choices of fuels. In this paper, we identify specific mechanisms through which automation may affect travel and energy demand and resulting GHG emissions and bring them together using a coherent energy decomposition framework. We review the literature for estimates of the energy impacts of each mechanism and, where the literature is lacking, develop our own estimates using engineering and economic analysis. We consider how widely applicable each mechanism is, and quantify the potential impact of each mechanism on a common basis: the percentage change it is expected to cause in total GHG emissions from light-duty or heavy-duty vehicles in the U.S. Our primary focus is travel related energy consumption and emissions, since potential lifecycle impacts are generally smaller in magnitude. We explore the net effects of automation on emissions through several illustrative scenarios, finding that automation might plausibly reduce road transport GHG emissions and energy use by nearly half – or nearly double them – depending on which effects come to dominate. We also find that many potential energy-reduction benefits may be realized through partial automation, while the major energy/emission downside risks appear more likely at full automation. We close by presenting some implications for policymakers and identifying priority areas for further research.     

Electric versus conventional vehicles: social costs and benefits in France

This article compares the social costs of electric vehicles with those of conventional, thermal vehicles for typical passenger use in the Ile-de-France region (Greater Paris), a case of particular interest because nearly 80% of the electricity is generated by nuclear power plants. A four-seat electric car is compared to a new conventional car of the same make and model; for the latter both the gasoline and the diesel version are considered because almost half of new car sales in France are diesel. These results are also compared to typical existing diesel and gasoline vehicles in the current French fleet. The methodology developed by the ExternE (External Costs of Energy) Project of the European Commission is used to estimate the costs associated with atmospheric pollution due to power plants, refineries and tail pipe emissions. Our discussion of externalities is limited to air pollution thus excluding others such as costs associated with noise or accidents. Our results imply that the external costs are large and significant, even when one considers the uncertainties. If internalized by government regulations, these externalities can render the total cost of an electric vehicle more competitive with that of currently available thermal vehicles in large urban centers if the electricity is produced by sources with low pollution. However, the current generation electric vehicles are so expensive that internalization of pollution damage would not give it a very clear advantage.     

Use of hybrid vehicles in Japan: An analysis of used car market data

Despite the rapid market penetration of hybrid vehicles (HVs), their usage and contributions to environmental protection have not been examined by vehicle traveling data. In this paper, we analyzed Japan’s used car market data to understand how HVs are used on the street. We find GV drivers with high travel demand switched from GVs to HVs during the transition period. Despite HV owners driving much longer distances than conventional gasoline vehicle (GV) owners, they emit less carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, owing to better fuel economy. We also find that HV owners spend roughly the same amount of money annually as GV owners. However, the per-kilometer travel cost of HVs is much lower than that of GVs even if the depreciation cost of the vehicle and vehicle related taxes are included in the analysis.     

基于Box-Cox-TQR概率密度的铁路运用车保有量预测方法

合理的铁路运用车保有量，对满足铁路货运需求，提高货车运用效率，降低运营成本等有重要作用.考虑铁路运输系统复杂的内外部环境及其动态变化特性，对影响运用车保有量因素定性分析；提出了粗糙集属性约简、灰色关联分析、逐步回归方法相结合的主要影响因素识别方法.以此为基础，建立了基于 Box-Cox变换分位数回归(Box-Cox-TQR)和核密度估计相结合的概率密度预测模型.以国家铁路局运用车保有量实际数据为基础，进行预测试验.结果表明，利用主要因素识别的方法符合目标值的运动变化规律，预测结果具有良好的精度.此外，概率密度预测比点预测、区间预测传递出更多信息，为管理决策提供更多准确有用信息.     

提高客车段修效率因素探讨

铁路客车采用的关键技术发生了日新月异的变化,而既有客车段的工艺布局、工装设备配置等方面均很难适应其配属客车的段修任务。为实现客车检修资源的集中使用,形成规模效益,急需对影响客车段修效率的因素进行深入研究。通过介绍25型主型客车段修修程及主要部件的主要工艺流程,分析影响主要部件段修效率的因素,并对轮轴检修、转向架检修、车体油漆等作业节拍进行分析,提出客车转向架检修采用定位修与部分移动式流水作业相结合作业方式,得出提高客车段修作业效率的主要工装设备配置。     

Effective environmental marketing of green cars: A nested-logit approach

Using market data, we assess the effectiveness of an eco-marketing campaign on purchases of ‘green’ vehicles. The eco-marketing was designed as a quasi-experiment, having one region exposed to the marketing while the other region was the control. A two-level nested-logit model consistent with utility maximization reveals the campaign had short-term positive effects on green-car sales. Results also indicate green-car buyers come from highly educated communities. Age has a positive but non-linear effect on green car sales.     

Forecasting petrol demand and assessing the impact of selective strategies to reduce fuel consumption

Abstract

The use of fossil fuels in transportation is an important topic as a result of growing concerns over global warming. Automobile petrol demand has been of particular interest to researchers and policy-makers, given that the automobile is a major contributor to the enhanced greenhouse effect. This paper forecasts Australia's automobile petrol demand up to the year 2020 based on the best performing forecasting model selected out of eight models. In order to establish ways to reduce the demand for petrol, and the consequent by-product of reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, we have estimated the impact on CO₂ for several potential policy instruments, using Transportation and Environment Strategy Impact Simulator (an integrated transport, land use and environmental strategy impact simulation programme). We find that a carbon tax of AU$0.50/kg can reduce automobile kilometres by 5.9%, resulting in reduced demand for petrol and a reduction in CO₂ of 1.5%.     

私家车交通行为分析

私家车交通是经济发展到一定阶段的必然趋势，有利有弊。对于这种交通行为，应根据城市不同的规模、结构布局和土地利用特性等，制定适宜的政策加以引导，合理适量的发展，充分发挥其有利于城市交通的一面，并进行交通行为的分析评价，从而不断缓解城市交通问题。     

三通阀漏泄自动检测装置简介

铁路新造和检修后的客货车各型制动阀都要在相应的制动机试验台上进行空气漏泄试验,以观察其漏泄情况。三通阀是制动阀的一种,其密封性能对车辆制动作用的好坏起着重要的作用,因此对三通阀的检测也是必不可少的。人工测试时,通常采用抹肥皂水的方法,根据气泡破裂速度确定漏泄程