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Title: Travel and energy implications of ridesourcing service in Austin, Texas

Abstract

This paper identifies major aspects of ridesourcing services provided by Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) which influence vehicles miles traveled (VMT) and energy use. Using detailed data on approximately 1.5 million individual rides provided by RideAustin in Austin Texas, we quantify the additional miles TNC drivers travel: before beginning and after ending their shifts, to reach a passenger once a ride has been requested, and between consecutive rides (all of which is referred to as deadheading); and the relative fuel efficiency of the vehicles that RideAustin drivers use compared to the average vehicle registered in Austin. We conservatively estimate that TNC drivers commute to and from their service areas accounts for 19% of the total ridesourcing VMT. In addition, we estimate that TNC drivers drove 55% more miles between ride requests within 60 min of each other, accounting for 26% of total ridesourcing VMT. Vehicles used for ridesourcing are on average two miles per gallon more fuel efficient than comparable light-duty vehicles registered in Austin, with twice as many are hybrid-electric vehicles. New generation battery electric vehicles with 200 miles of range would be able to fulfill 90% of full-time drivers' shifts on a single charge. We estimate that the netmore » effect of ridesourcing on energy use is a 41-90% increase compared to baseline, pre-TNC, personal travel.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (EE-3V); USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1507290
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1547601
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5400-73664
Journal ID: ISSN 1361-9209
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Transportation Research. Part D, Transport and Environment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 70; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 1361-9209
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ridesourcing; ride-hailing; TNC; RideAustin; behicle miles traveled; fuel economy

Citation Formats

Wenzel, Tom, Rames, Clement, Kontou, Eleftheria, and Henao, Alejandro. Travel and energy implications of ridesourcing service in Austin, Texas. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1016/j.trd.2019.03.005.
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Wenzel, Tom, Rames, Clement, Kontou, Eleftheria, & Henao, Alejandro. Travel and energy implications of ridesourcing service in Austin, Texas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2019.03.005
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Wenzel, Tom, Rames, Clement, Kontou, Eleftheria, and Henao, Alejandro. Mon . "Travel and energy implications of ridesourcing service in Austin, Texas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2019.03.005. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1507290.
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@article{osti_1507290,
title = {Travel and energy implications of ridesourcing service in Austin, Texas},
author = {Wenzel, Tom and Rames, Clement and Kontou, Eleftheria and Henao, Alejandro},
abstractNote = {This paper identifies major aspects of ridesourcing services provided by Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) which influence vehicles miles traveled (VMT) and energy use. Using detailed data on approximately 1.5 million individual rides provided by RideAustin in Austin Texas, we quantify the additional miles TNC drivers travel: before beginning and after ending their shifts, to reach a passenger once a ride has been requested, and between consecutive rides (all of which is referred to as deadheading); and the relative fuel efficiency of the vehicles that RideAustin drivers use compared to the average vehicle registered in Austin. We conservatively estimate that TNC drivers commute to and from their service areas accounts for 19% of the total ridesourcing VMT. In addition, we estimate that TNC drivers drove 55% more miles between ride requests within 60 min of each other, accounting for 26% of total ridesourcing VMT. Vehicles used for ridesourcing are on average two miles per gallon more fuel efficient than comparable light-duty vehicles registered in Austin, with twice as many are hybrid-electric vehicles. New generation battery electric vehicles with 200 miles of range would be able to fulfill 90% of full-time drivers' shifts on a single charge. We estimate that the net effect of ridesourcing on energy use is a 41-90% increase compared to baseline, pre-TNC, personal travel.},
doi = {10.1016/j.trd.2019.03.005},
journal = {Transportation Research. Part D, Transport and Environment},
number = C,
volume = 70,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 25 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Mon Mar 25 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2019.03.005
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    Ride-hailing, travel behaviour and sustainable mobility: an international review
    journal, November 2019

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