Decarbonizing Mobility: Innovations in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact Mitigation

Dear Colleagues,

The transportation sector accounts for nearly one-quarter of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and remains a significant source of urban air pollution, noise, and ecological degradation. With rapid urbanization, increased demand for personal and freight mobility, and evolving patterns of land use, the environmental footprint of transportation continues to grow, posing substantial challenges to achieving global climate targets and sustainable development goals.

In response, decarbonizing mobility has emerged as a critical research and policy priority. This transformation involves a wide range of strategies, including vehicle electrification, alternative fuels, intelligent transport systems, mode shift interventions, and improvements in system-level energy efficiency. However, the complex interactions between technology, behavior, infrastructure, and policy demand integrated approaches to assess and mitigate the environmental impacts of mobility. Furthermore, efforts must account for lifecycle emissions, rebound effects, equity considerations, and unintended consequences of interventions.

This Special Issue seeks to advance the scientific understanding of transportation's energy and environmental implications and to promote innovations that support a transition toward cleaner, more efficient, and more equitable mobility systems. By bridging transportation science, energy analysis, environmental modeling, and sustainability planning, this Issue will provide a platform for interdisciplinary contributions that inform both academic inquiry and evidence-based policymaking.

The aims of this Special Issue are as follows:

• To promote interdisciplinary research on strategies for reducing the energy consumption and environmental impacts of transportation systems, including innovations in vehicle technology, alternative fuels, and system-level efficiency improvements.
• To explore the environmental trade-offs and co-benefits of emerging mobility solutions, such as electrified transport, shared mobility, and intelligent transportation systems, with a focus on emissions, air quality, and resource sustainability.
• To inform policy and planning frameworks by presenting evidence-based analyses that support the design, implementation, and evaluation of decarbonization pathways in diverse mobility contexts.

Suggested themes may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Low-Carbon Vehicle Technologies and Fuels·         

• Lifecycle energy and emissions analysis of electric and hydrogen vehicles;
• Comparative studies of alternative fuels (e.g., biofuels, e-fuels, LNG);    
• Integration of renewable energy into transportation energy systems.

Transportation System Energy Efficiency   

• Multimodal energy efficiency assessment;·         
• Smart traffic management and eco-driving strategies;·        
• Energy-efficient infrastructure design and operations (e.g., ITS, V2X).

Environmental Impact Assessment·         

• Modeling emissions, air quality, and noise under different mobility scenarios;·         
• Lifecycle environmental assessment of transportation systems and services;·         
• Evaluation of ecosystem and urban climate impacts of mobility innovations.

Mobility Transitions and Policy Interventions·         

• Decarbonization policy analysis at local, national, or global levels;·         
• Impact of carbon pricing, fuel economy standards, and zero-emission mandates;·       
• Equity and justice considerations in the transition to low-carbon transport.

Digitalization, Behavior, and Demand Management·         

• Role of AI, digital twins, and big data in sustainable mobility planning;·         
• Behavioral responses to low-emission mobility options;·         
• Demand-side interventions: modal shift, telecommuting, and shared mobility.

Freight and Logistics Decarbonization·         

• Green freight technologies and operations;·         
• Urban logistics and last-mile delivery innovations;·         
• Integrated land use and freight systems for reduced emissions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Yuche Chen
Dr. Xuanke Wu
Guest Editors

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