Adaptive Cruise Control Real World Energy Consumption

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) has become a popular feature in modern vehicles, promising not only to increase safety but also to potentially save fuel. Recent research by Argonne National Laboratory provides a data driven insight on ACC’s energy consumption derived from real-world driving data collected from a diverse fleet. The study is unique in its scale and observational nature as well as in its dual approach: a broad trip-level analysis and a granular, situation-based examination.

The Argonne results offer multi-faceted understanding. On a trip-level scale, engaging ACC seemed to slightly increase fuel consumption (+0.26 l/100km or 2%) over the entirety of the fleet. A primary reason is that ACC uses more energy during cruising, which is where the majority of driving time is spent. Yet, in analysis of specific driving situations like acceleration or braking, ACC showed promise, particularly in the presence of a preceding vehicle.

The results offer new research direction and focus to further optimize ACC systems with energy efficiency in mind.

The study was funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Energy Efficient Mobility Systems (EEMS).