Evaluating the Effectiveness of “Smart Pedal” Systems for Vehicle Fleets

The research team will initially review existing “Smart Pedal” technologies and characterize the cost, installation, components, vehicle applicability, and expected effectiveness. The research team will collaborate closely with Caltrans and the technology provider to determine five (5) candidate vehicles on which to test the selected technology. Following the collaborative identification of five (5) demonstration vehicles, the research team will install data loggers (1 Hz data rate) to monitor vehicle operating parameters (fuel, throttle, speed, acceleration, and location). An existing baseline vehicle activity data set will then be established using drivers of these instrumented vehicles. The research team will then coordinate with Caltrans staff to facilitate the installation of the “Smart Pedal” technology by Caltrans staff on the five (5) demonstration vehicles. The research team will then conduct another similar vehicle activity dataset, this time with the use of the “Smart Pedal” technology. The research team will then be able to characterize the physical impacts of the technology on vehicle operation by comparing physical operating conditions (speed, acceleration, fuel) between the datasets. The research team will utilize the before/after “Smart Pedal” data to conduct a cost/benefit analysis of the top 2% of Caltrans Fleet vehicles which would benefit from “Smart Pedal” technology installation, projecting on to a large-scale deployment in Caltrans fleet vehicles. Future phases may include a much larger pilot program, covering a larger number of vehicles in the fleet over longer periods of time.

• Record URL:
  https://ncst.ucdavis.edu/project/evaluating-effectiveness-smart-pedal-systems-vehicle-fleets

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $140693
• Contract Numbers:

  Caltrans 65A0686 Task Order 056

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  California Department of Transportation

  1227 O Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95843

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 
• Project Managers:

  Iacobucci, Lauren

• Performing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Riverside

  1084 Columbia Ave.
  Riverside, CA  United States  92507
• Principal Investigators:

  Scora, George

  Barth, Mathew

• Start Date: 20210426
• Expected Completion Date: 20221231
• Actual Completion Date: 20230523
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Before and after studies; Benefit cost analysis; Demonstration projects; Driver support systems; Fuel consumption; Pedals; Speed; Technological innovations; Vehicle fleets
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01772190
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Sustainable Transportation
• Contract Numbers: Caltrans 65A0686 Task Order 056
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: May 24 2021 12:51PM