Economic Impact Assessment: Local Service Costs of Automated Vehicles for Public Transport

While most of the current research on automated public transport focuses on improving operational and technical aspects, as well as tackling policy and user behavioural factors, the integration of these vehicles into public networks is mainly dependent on costs and breakeven points. Research quantifying costs and return on investment specifically in academic settings are sparse. This chapter aims to introduce an economic assessment tool, designed as a decision-making tool to support public policies on the decision of implementing innovative mobility services. The simulation contributes to the Total Cost of Mobility (TCM), a vision that accounts all alternative modes of travel and is therefore more adapted to today’s fleets which are evolving towards automated electro mobility, pool management, etc. The presented assessment tool was tested with real data from pilot sites within the AVENUE project, and the results prove it to be a relevant tool to aid decision-makers on whether to adopt services with such vehicles.