Big Data for Supporting Low-Carbon Road Transport Policies in Europe: Applications, Challenges and Opportunities

AbstractBig data is among the most promising research trends of the decade, drawing attention from every segment of the market and society. This paper provides the scientific community with a comprehensive overview of the applications of a data processing platform designed to harness the potential of big data in the field of road transport policies in Europe. This platform relies on datasets of driving and mobility patterns collected by means of navigation systems. Two datasets from conventional fuel vehicles collected with on-board GPS systems have been used to perform an initial pilot study and develop its core algorithms. They consist of 4.5 million trips and parking events recorded by monitoring 28,000 vehicles over one month. The presented analyses address: (1) large-scale mobility statistics, (2) potential of electric vehicles in replacing conventional fuel vehicles and related modal shift, (3) energy demand coming from electric vehicles, (4) smart design of the recharge infrastructure and Vehicle-to-Grid, and (5) real-world driving and evaporative emissions assessment and mapping. The developed methodology and the presented outcomes demonstrate the potential of big data for policy assessment and better governance, focusing on the challenges and on the huge opportunities offered for future developments. This paper ultimately aims to show how big data can inspire smart policies together with public and private investments to enable the large scale deployment of the next generation of green vehicles, offering an unprecedented opportunity to shape policies for future mobility and smart cities