An eco-score system incorporating driving behavior, vehicle characteristics, and traffic conditions

Abstract

This study employs two eco-scoring methods to evaluate driving behavior based on real-world GPS data collected from drivers using an insurance mobile application in two provinces of Canada, Ontario and Quebec. Method 1 provides an eco-score based on greenhouse gas emissions (CO2eq) and energy consumption considering vehicle characteristics. For electric and hybrid vehicles, an equivalent fuel efficiency, which is defined as the amount of energy consumed by alternative fuel vehicles to that of traditional gas-powered cars, is calculated for each trip record and each alternative vehicle model. Method 2 improves the algorithm by considering on-road traffic conditions and scoring trips relative to other trips experiencing similar traffic conditions. Our results demonstrate that representativeness of the eco-score system is improved after incorporating traffic conditions as trips will less likely be penalized for stop-and-go driving in congested conditions or receive high eco-scores although they have relatively low average speed on uncongested highways.