ABOUT
TITLE: DriveGreen: Development of an ecodriving application for a transition to a low-carbon society
DURATION: July 2014 - June 2017
GOAL: The main goal of the project is to develop an intuitive and user-friendly mobile application DriveGreen which helps lower CO2 emissions by monitoring driving habits and encouraging ecodriving. The positive outcomes of a driving style modified by such an application have to do with more than lower greenhouse gas emissions, however; they include lower fuel consumption, economical vehicle use and safe driving. Thus, ecodriving is the optimal solution for both the individual (lower costs, greater safety) and the society (lower CO2 emissions).
RESEARCH APPROACHES: The application is designed on the basis of an ethnographic study which determines which approaches to encouraging ecodriving are the most appropriate for four urban centers: Ljubljana, Belgrade, Budapest and Istanbul. Ethnographic research is supplemented by quantitative measurements of driving style. Telematics solutions are used to gather data on everyday driving habits in four cities; to measure fuel consumption, calculate CO2 emissions and track the key elements of a driving style (acceleration, breaking, idling). This way we gain a comprehensive overview of the driving habits present in the chosen locations. By analyzing the results, we set the groundwork for further interdisciplinary study of traffic.
DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURES: Our research provides a basis for development procedures. The findings tell us which elements of the DriveGreen mobile application need to be adjusted for the various driving habits. They also influence the design of the user interface. This way we are able to create an application with a major advantage over other similar technologies: it helps the user choose the optimal motivational approach for ecodriving. The approach is determined by the individual’s driving habits, traffic infrastructure, the number of vehicles on the road and other socio-cultural and technological factors.
