An analysis of whether a level four autonomous vehicle can contribute to a more sustainable public transportation system : A review of the 5G-ride project from the perspective of sustainability

Abstract: Autonomous vehicles or self-driving vehicles is an emerging concept, supported by the latest technological achievements. In the last decade, the interest has increased tremendously, leading to extensive research on the subject of automation. Today almost all major automotive manufacturers are looking at the adaptation of self-driving vehicles and the benefits they may possess. Potential benefits such as decreasing the number of traffic accidents and enhancing the traffic flow make it an interesting prospect for combating traffic issues related to urbanisation. As a ripple effect, the 5G ride initiative was taken to investigate the performance of a level 4 autonomous vehicle in the environment of Stockholm, Sweden. The vehicle features technologies such as 5G, Edge-Node, AI, SGX, vehicular protocols and a remote traffic tower. To understand the impact of the vehicle, this thesis sought to evaluate the 5G ride in regard to current sustainable indicators and measurements. The focal point was set to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.2. A model for evaluating the sustainability of technological solutions was applied to the 5G ride. It takes both the negative and positive outcomes, as well as the perception of time and the magnitude of the impact into account when assessing a technological solution. Conclusively, the results reveal several promising factors for sustainable development. However, this comes at the expense of the current system standards and its resources.