Improving Ecodriving in an Electric Vehicle Driving Simulator: The Role of Energy Dynamics Awareness
Mon-B17-Talk II-03
Presented by: Markus Gödker
Energy-efficient driving (ecodriving) in electric vehicles is a crucial skill to reduce mobility costs, range stress, and the ecological footprint of electric vehicles. Due to the non-visibility of energy itself, as well as the volatility of energy transformations, it is a demanding task for drivers to 1) judge which actions or situations are energy efficient and 2) to decide on optimal actions.
Therefore, understanding psychological states and cognitive mechanisms that enable drivers to drive energy-efficiently is important to guide the design of future human-car interactions (e.g., via ecodriving displays) and support humans in reducing the resources used for mobility.
To this end, we developed the concept of Energy Dynamics Awareness (EDA) and a corresponding short scale. We refer to EDA as energy specific awareness about a situation and possible actions therein, comparable to situation awareness.
The present driving simulator experiment investigates drivers' EDA, its development over time, and correlations to ecodriving performance. In a mixed-design experiment, participants were tasked with driving eight times on two routes, with the goal of reducing energy consumption and arriving at a fixed destination on time. To manipulate EDA, we varied the demands needed to acquire information about energy dynamics by displaying either one of two instantaneous consumption display variants or a control group with no display.
Ecodriving performance and subjective experience were measured. Additionally, eye tracking and qualitative data was obtained. The results are discussed regarding methodological and theoretical implications. We discuss the role of EDA in guiding energy-efficient decisions and actions while driving.
Therefore, understanding psychological states and cognitive mechanisms that enable drivers to drive energy-efficiently is important to guide the design of future human-car interactions (e.g., via ecodriving displays) and support humans in reducing the resources used for mobility.
To this end, we developed the concept of Energy Dynamics Awareness (EDA) and a corresponding short scale. We refer to EDA as energy specific awareness about a situation and possible actions therein, comparable to situation awareness.
The present driving simulator experiment investigates drivers' EDA, its development over time, and correlations to ecodriving performance. In a mixed-design experiment, participants were tasked with driving eight times on two routes, with the goal of reducing energy consumption and arriving at a fixed destination on time. To manipulate EDA, we varied the demands needed to acquire information about energy dynamics by displaying either one of two instantaneous consumption display variants or a control group with no display.
Ecodriving performance and subjective experience were measured. Additionally, eye tracking and qualitative data was obtained. The results are discussed regarding methodological and theoretical implications. We discuss the role of EDA in guiding energy-efficient decisions and actions while driving.
Keywords: Ecodriving, energy, displays, electric vehicles, driving simulation, situation awareness