Evaluation of an eco-driving support system

• Evaluation of a cooperative eco-driving support system within a driving simulator study.
• Mean fuel savings between 15.9 and 18.4 percent.
• No significant increases in travel time.
• Smoother driving style with more constant speeds and less deceleration/acceleration maneuvers.
• Good acceptance of the system by the participants of the study.

In this study an eco-driving support system was evaluated within a driving simulator study. The presented system was able to communicate with traffic lights and to detect traffic signs. On the basis of this information the system gave recommendations to the participants concerning fuel efficient gear shifting and acceleration/deceleration behavior. Thirty participants experienced three different driving situations (traffic light approach, curves, and stop signs) with and without the eco-driving support system in an urban and a rural scenario. As a result with the systems mean fuel savings between 15.9 and 18.4 percent could be realized because the participants shifted up earlier and used more coasting strategies than in the condition without the system. Thus the number of stops decreased. At the same time travel time increased significantly only in the rural scenario (+5.4%) and there were no negative effects on safety. Further, the eco-driving support system was highly accepted by the participants. The high potential of the system for fuel saving should be researched further with a focus on interactions between vehicle drivers.