“What would it look like if all Yellow Cabs in Manhattan were replaced with self-driving electric taxis? How much battery range would they need, and where would you put charging stations? How much would it cost to ride in a robotaxi, and what would the environmental impact be?”
These are the questions posed by ERG student Gordon Bauer and researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The team found that the cost of shared automated electric vehicles, or SAEVs, would be dramatically lower than present-day taxis while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. Researchers believe that the electrification of vehicles coupled with a shared transportation approach is the clear path to solving the personal transportation crisis, and will occur faster than people think.
For more information, visit the following links:
Fleet of Automated Electric Taxis Could Deliver Environmental and Energy Benefits (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Automated Electric Taxis Could Deliver Environmental Benefits (UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources)
Robotaxis in Manhattan (YouTube)
Cost, Energy, and Environmental Impact of Automated Electric Taxi Fleets in Manhattan (full study)