The CAZ is part
of a much broader
strategy to not only improve
the air we breathe, but to also
improve the way we move around our city
Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council
Could active geofencing help control vehicle emissions?
While current CAZs and LEZs rely on traffic cameras to enforce them, geofencing offers the tantalizing
prospect of vehicles being forced to self-regulate their emissions when entering certain areas
Under the auspices of the UK’s Centre of
Excellence for low carbon technologies,
Cenex Leeds City Council conducted
the year-long Project ACCRA (Autonomous
& Connected vehicles for CleaneR Air) in a
collaboration that also included the Transport
Systems Catapult (TSC), EarthSense, Dynniq,
and Tevva Motors. The project showcased
smart city technology that could demonstrate
real-time emissions control, using live air
quality data to trigger electric hybrid engines
to automatically switch to zero-emission
running in heavily polluted areas.
Until battery technology advances to the
stage where long-range all-electric freight
transport is widespread, the use of hybrid
internal combustion/electric powered vehicles
may help allay the industries issues with
‘range anxiety’. The ACCRA technology concept
was tested on a hybrid commercial vehicle
interface developed by Tevva Motors that
uses a small capacity diesel engine, providing
power to a generator that drives an electric
motor to power the truck’s wheels.
Transportation network systems developer
Dynniq created a decision-making software
engine capable of taking inputs from a range
of city data, such as live air quality
information and real-time traffic
conditions. Environmental
consultancy EarthSense
Systems was responsible for
monitoring and uploading
updated local air quality
levels to the interface,
which was used to
trigger on-demand
zero-emissions running
instructions in the participating vehicles. The
‘active geofencing’ software sent instructions to
the 7.5-tonne Range-Extended Electric Vehicles
(REEV) when they entered the designated
Dynamic Control Zone automatically switching
them to all-electric mode.
Describing the project, Cenex’s head of
transport, Steve Carroll, noted, “Urban air
quality is a persistent and growing
problem. Using real-time air
quality data to automatically
instruct vehicles driving into
high pollution areas to
switch to zero-emissions
driving, has the potential
to transform urban
transportation
regulation and save
thousands of lives.”
congestion in 2018 and yet 25% of all
car journeys undertaken in the city
are less than a mile. If those people
left their cars at home and used the
bus, walked or cycled instead then
that would make a real difference.”
Public engagement has been an
important element in the
CAZ introduction process
and Birmingham’s six-week
consultation in summer
2018 attracted around 11,000
responses; the biggest ever
response to any
and is the start of a much bigger,
long-term conversation about making
the switch to cleaner, more
sustainable forms of transport, such
as EVs, that will enable cities to
continue to function at and grow.
“Every city’s needs are
different and therefore each clean
air zone is about addressing a
national issue with local
solutions. What is right for
Birmingham will not
necessarily be right for
another city,” says Zaffar.
“However, Birmingham has
been working with other cities who
are part of the UK100 network of
local government leaders in order to
share knowledge and best practice,
and we will continue to liaise with
other cities introducing CAZs, such
as Leeds, so that we can learn from
each other. I firmly believe that
working together in this way will
enable us to achieve our common
goal of cleaner air for all.” ●
consultation carried out by the
council. However, Birmingham City
Council recognises that the scheme
represents a radical change for those
who live and work in Birmingham,
Signs are already going
up around Birmingham
to inform drivers of the
soon-to-be-enforced
clean air zone
Right: ACCRA
geofencing can
switch hybrids to
electric mode in
certain areas of a city
Clean Air Zones |
032 Traffic Technology International March/April 2020
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