Transportation Decarbonization: Advanced Vehicle Technologies and Their Social, Economic, and Environmental Impacts

Dear Colleagues,

By the end of 2020, more than 110 countries had committed to a net-zero carbon emissions goal to realize the Paris Agreement commitment that limits global warming below 1.5 °C compared to pre-industrial levels by mid-century. The transportation sector, especially the on-road vehicle sector, has been one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, achieving a far-reaching target on decarbonization requires vast investment in advanced vehicle technologies, a transition in policy orientation, and structural adjustments in industrial strategy. Various powertrain pathways, such as electrification, hydrogen fuel-cell, and internal combustion engines using zero-carbon fuels, are explored in different countries, paving the way for a revolutionary transition from the current petroleum-based to a more sustainable and decarbonized transportation system. These practices bring challenges and opportunities to advanced vehicle technologies (e.g., battery materials, connected autonomous vehicles), new transportation mode choices (e.g., shared mobility), and the supply chains of natural resources.

In this Special Issue, we are looking for leading research on advanced technologies, industrial strategies and policies for deep decarbonization, and their social and environmental impacts from the vehicle industry. These studies should be quantitative and focus on transportation decarbonization. Relevant topics include:

• Challenges and opportunities in advanced battery materials, electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, internal combustion engine using zero-carbon fuels, and other decarbonized technologies in vehicle use;
• Intelligent application and optimization of low- and zero-carbon powertrain technologies combining with electricity (V2X), hydrogen, or other renewable power sources;
• Impacts of autonomous driving and shared mobility on transportation mode choices and decarbonization;
• Lifecycle analysis for improving the measurement of transportation decarbonization;
• Social and environmental impacts and practices of the industrial strategies and government policies on vehicle decarbonization.

Dr. Shiqi(Shawn) Ou
Dr. Xin He
Dr. Xu Hao
Guest Editors

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