Skip to main content
Dryad

Evaluating the effectiveness of “Smart Pedal” systems for vehicle fleets

Data files

Abstract

California has major initiatives for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and 80% reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. In recent years, there have been a number of “Smart Pedal” systems that emerged, both as automotive OEM equipment and as third-party hardware. These “Smart Pedal” systems can be installed in vehicles with the potential to reduce fuel consumption and GHG emissions by smoothing a driver’s acceleration and deceleration patterns, with little effect on travel time or safety. This research investigates the effectiveness of a select “Smart Pedal” system in reducing fuel consumption and GHG emissions. The SmartPedalTM technology was evaluated using six Caltrans vehicles, each monitored for two data collection periods: 1) without the SmartPedalTM device, to collect the baseline data sets,  and 2) with the SmartPedalTM device, to collect a comparison data set with the “Smart Pedal” technology. The collected data is presented here.