Transportation is essential to a vibrant economy and society, moving people and goods where they need to go. Lack of access to affordable, convenient, and available transportation can limit opportunities for a healthy, productive, and fulfilling life. Current transportation systems are afflicted by traffic congestion, inconvenience, and infrequent or indirect transit options. The good news is that advanced mobility solutions are emerging that, if implemented thoughtfully, can potentially address many of today’s challenges. ACES technologies—Automated, Connected, Electric, Shared—have the potential to improve congestion, reduce air pollution, and create more affordable transportation for people of all abilities.
ACES technologies—Automated, Connected, Electric, Shared—have the potential to improve congestion, reduce air pollution, and create more affordable transportation for people of all abilities.
What is ACES Technology?
- Automated – Automated vehicles and shuttles follow orders to a destination or route, and may use lane-keeping and vehicle-following (aka “platooning”) guidance technology. In their most advanced form, automated (or fully autonomous) vehicles require no human driver at all.
- Connected – Connected vehicles are equipped with communication technologies to communicate with the driver, other cars on the road (Vehicle-to-Vehicle V2V), roadside infrastructure (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure V2I) or the cloud (V2C).
- Electric – EVs use electric motors that are powered through batteries, solar panels or electric generators that convert fuel to electricity. EVs do not produce emissions and do not directly burn fossil fuels.
- Shared – Shared transportation consists of vehicle sharing (cars, bikes, scooters, etc.) and pooled ridesharing (Uber Pool, Lyft Line, public transit options). Historically, transit options have been on fixed schedules but have recently evolved to support on-demand access.
When we take a deeper look into ACES mobility, we can see the benefits of each transportation method. Automated and connected vehicles have the potential to avoid collisions and save lives. Connected and shared vehicles can provide mobility as a service, resulting in fewer people needing to buy and maintain vehicles while reducing congestion and air pollution. Lastly, electric vehicles can reduce emissions and road noise, improving our quality of life. With each of these options having the potential to transform mobility, the question remains, how can we further develop these concepts and implement ACES technology into our everyday life?
With each of these options having the potential to transform mobility, the question remains, how can we further develop these concepts and implement ACES technology into our everyday life?
Prospect Silicon Valley has recently engaged the Bay Area’s transportation community to foster the growth of these technologies and address our transportation challenges. At our ACES Network events, we spark meaningful conversations to determine the barriers to deployment and how we can create opportunities to test and roll out these solutions.
So far, we’ve learned that regulations are quickly evolving to keep up with the rapidly growing pace of the industry. Even more importantly, we’ve heard from the DMV, the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and other key players about the role of safety and how it will lead the way for developing policy changes and shifting the landscape of transportation.
Where can someone hear more about these developments? Since ACES mobility is a wide-ranging topic, Prospect Silicon Valley has dedicated an entire track at our upcoming Innovation and Impact Symposium to hear from leaders in the transportation and mobility industry. Representatives from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Voyage, Ford, Uber and more will discuss how ACES mobility is creating new opportunities and challenges in the real world. They will speak in depth about topics including safety and certification, data sharing, and curbside and traffic management. Attendees will hear firsthand how the public and private sectors are fostering the growth of ACES to improve transportation as a whole.
The Innovation and Impact Symposium will take place Wednesday, June 19, 2019 from 8:30am – 5:00pm at the Zero Net Energy Center in San Leandro, California.
Later down the road, when the transportation industry has evolved, we will see the importance of how these concepts sparked its transformation. The technologies we’re implementing now will be felt for decades to come. Our desire to improve transportation systems will have a widespread reach and has the potential to improve quality of life for numerous communities. We’ve seen how certain mobility services have gained popularity and adoption, now let’s continue to engage this revolution.
