Integration o f new urban vehicles in transport systems and mobility concepts

Especially in urban areas, the increasing demand of mobility needs to be faced by resource-efficient and sustainable technical and logistical solutions. Innovative urban vehicle concepts can contribute to an efficient utilization of infrastructure and energy. In contrary, mobility and transport demand of users may restrict the usability of these vehicle size classes due to limited space and driving range. These characteristics can be experienced as disadvantages in comparison with standard passenger cars. In this context, the present study discusses pros and cons of selected innovative vehicle types as a part of new and smart urban mobility concepts. In a first step, the present publication points to the potential of new small and lightweight vehicle concepts for urban traffic, based on the determination of representative real-user mobility scenarios and transportation demands. For that purpose, multimodal mobility scenarios have been created, integrating city cars and public transport to achieve comprehensive mobility solutions. In a second step, the energy demand, CO ₂ equivalent emission and parking space reduction potential is simulated for different scenarios. A comparison of a conventional vehicle fleet and selected innovative multimodal mobility scenarios highlights the potential of new vehicle and mobility concepts for urban individual transport. Focus is put on the reduction of space requirements, energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition, the application of small city car concepts driven by alternative propulsion systems is discussed. Considering requirements of future traffic scenarios in congested areas and prospective customer demands, the present study includes an evaluation of several system approaches and vehicle technologies for urban mobility. It highlights potentials regarding energy, GHG emissions and space reduction under consideration of real user’s mobility scenarios. In this way, the study treats a comparison of various mobility solutions over the entire life cycle under the boundary conditions of different kinds of urban usage profiles and it points to the CO ₂ reduction potentials and limits of diverse mobility technologies.