Signalized intersections can increase the vehicle stops and consequently increase the energy consumption by forcing stop-and-go dynamics on vehicles. Eco-driving with the help of connectivity is a solution that could avoid multiple stops and improve energy efficiency. In this paper, an eco-driving framework is developed, which finds the energy-efficient speed profile both up- and downstream of a signalized intersection in free-flow situations (eco-FF). The proposed framework utilizes the signal phasing and timing (SPaT) data that are communicated to the vehicle. The energy consumption model used in this framework is a combination of vehicle dynamics and time-dependent auxiliary consumption, which implicitly incorporates the travel time into the function and is validated with real-world test data. It is shown that, by using the proposed eco-FF framework, the vehicle’s energy consumption is notably reduced.
As autonomous vehicle technology advances, the development of energy-efficient control methodologies emerges as a critical area in the literature. This includes the behavior control of vehicles near signalized intersections, which still needs comprehensive exploration. Through connectivity, the adoption of promising eco-driving approaches can manage a vehicle’s speed profile to improve energy consumption. This study focuses on controlling the speed of an autonomous electric vehicle (AEV) both up and downstream of a signalized intersection in the presence of preceding vehicles. In order to achieve this, a dynamic pro-active predictive cruise control eco-driving (eco-PPCC) framework is developed that, instead of merely reacting to the preceding vehicle’s speed changes, uses the preceding vehicle’s upcoming data to actively adjust and optimize the speed profile of the AEV. The proposed algorithm is compared to the conventional Gipps and eco-PCC models for benchmarking and performance analysis through numerous scenarios. Additionally, real-world measurements are performed and taken to consider practical use cases. The results demonstrate that when compared to the two baseline methods, the proposed framework can add significant value to reducing energy consumption, preventing unnecessary stops at intersections, and improving travel time.