A comparison of motivational and informational contexts for improving eco-driving performance

Abstract

Eco-driving, the practice of operating a vehicle with environmentally friendly objectives, has been the focus of an increasing number of driving studies over the past decade, as new forms of vehicle automation and more driver-centric feedback continually emerge. Common benefits range from reducing carbon footprints and emissions to better fuel economy. Studies have also examined the effectiveness of in-vehicle assistance devices and training or education programs for commercial and passenger vehicle operators. Eco-driving strategies in general show significantly smaller impacts in the field relative to their laboratory counterparts. This study further builds on this past work by comparing and disentangling the effects from motivational contexts, for example a competition with prizes, with the effects of informational context, such as tutorials for drivers. To investigate this comparison, laboratory experiments are conducted using a commercial vehicle simulator. The results suggest that motivational contexts are more effective at encouraging eco-driving relative to informational contexts. Furthermore, incentives within competitive contexts had similar positive impacts on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and improving fuel efficiency as experiencing a tutorial on eco-driving. One possible explanation is that drivers have gained knowledge on how to operate vehicles with an eco-driving objective through their driving experience. This result further suggests that with respect to effectively encouraging eco-driving, targeting experienced drivers through a competition is better than presenting information or a tutorial.