Connected Autonomous Vehicles: Cost benefit considerations

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) could bring significant societal and environmental benefits, from making traveling safer, cheaper, and more comfortable, to increasing access to mobility for the elderly and disabled. A key element of the ‘mobility revolution’ is developing wireless communications that allow vehicles to talk to the driver, to each other and to roadside infrastructure. The cost-benefit analysis for a particular type of communications technology, Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) illustrates the benefit to society and the environment in terms of improved mobility, safety and air quality against the cost of developing and implementing the technology on motorways and urban roads. </p

Towards net-zero: Exploring the current state of low carbon supply chains in the Midlands

The United Kingdom is a global leader in the fight against climate change, having been the first major economy to enact legislation by setting an ambitious net-zero emissions target for 2050. The Midlands, as the epicentre of industrial activity in the UK, has already begun this transformational journey towards net-zero. The Midlands Engine commissioned this research, which was carried out by WMG, with the goal of informing on the current state of supply chains by exploring SC vulnerabilities and disruptions, identifying strategic opportunities, and providing a set of policy interventions to accelerate efforts toward building manufacturing to support the net-zero economy. </p

Value chain report: How UK suppliers can support development and production of Connected Autonomous Vehicles

WMG at the University of Warwick undertook the Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) Value Chain Analysis project which completed in 2019. The project aimed to inform the Government and Zenzic’s understanding of the emerging CAV supply base and value chain in the UK. The study examined the technologies and services required to bring CAVs to the streets, potential future use and deployment, and the gaps in existing UK supply capability. The low-speed transport environment provided a case study to understand in detail the immediate and practical needs of innovation and deployment, and the current constraints on innovation. This report summarises the findings of this project and results in a series of practical recommendations for how the UK can seize the opportunities. </p

Leveraging supply chains to create competitive advantage for the Midlands region: A systematic review

This report is based on research conducted by WMG Supply Chain Research Group (SCRG), University of Warwick as a part of the ‘Supply Chain Analysis’ programme funded by the Midlands Engine. The aim of this project is to provide a holistic view of industrial supply chains in the Midlands region and identify potential interventions for building a clear pathway to increased sustainability, productivity and prosperity. Our findings show that the region faces four critical SC challenges in the current setting: the shortage of resources (i.e. skilled labour, financial investment and infrastructure) in the physical SC network, and the three ensuing issues – visibility, integration and sustainability within the supply chain management (SCM). Without effective solutions, these challenges can significantly impede the region’s SC resilience and, as a result, undermine overall productivity. As a result, a set of practical and political recommendations for improving regional SCs was developed. </p

DataSheet1_A simulation model of the real-world fuel and energy consumption of light-duty vehicles.docx

The European Union has intensified efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from the transport sector, with the target of reducing tailpipe CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicle new registrations by 55% by 2030 and achieving zero emissions by 2035 according to the “Fit for 55” package. To promote fuel and energy consumption awareness among users under real-world conditions the MILE21—LIFE project provided tools such as a self-reporting tool and a find-a-car tool that included the official and representative on-road fuel/energy consumption values. In order to produce representative values, an in-house vehicle longitudinal dynamics simulation model was developed for use in the background of the on-line platform utilizing only a limited amount of inputs. To achieve this, the applied methodology is based on precalculated efficiency values. These values have been produced using vehicle micro-model simulations covering a wide range of operating conditions. The model was validated using measurements from a dedicated testing campaign and performed well for petrol vehicles with an average divergence of −1.1%. However, the model showed a divergence of 9.7% for diesel vehicles, 10.6% for hybrids and 8.7% for plug-in hybrids. The model was also applied to US vehicles and showed a divergence of 1.2% and 10% for city and highway driving, respectively. The application of the developed model presented in this work showed that it is possible to predict real-world fuel and energy consumption with the desired accuracy using a simplified approach with limited input data.</p