Measuring Mobility Potential: NREL Researchers Develop New Metric that Quantifies Mobility Energy Productivity

Mobility is one of the fundamental aspects of human behavior, governed by factors such as time, cost, convenience, and availability of travel options. A new measurement developed by NREL researchers, called the Mobility Energy Productivity metric, provides an avenue to not only measure the quality of mobility at a specific location in its current configuration, but also to test how various technological advancements (e.g. connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), plug-in electric vehicles, shared mobility) and infrastructure investments (e.g. building an additional highway lane; constructing a new shopping mall) may impact the mobility of that location over time. A location with high quality mobility offers multiple transportation options to a diverse number of opportunities while minimizing time, cost, and energy consumption - all factors which define a high quality of life. Development of the MEP metric is a cornerstone of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SMART Mobility Laboratory Consortium. The metric will aid in developing new knowledge, insights, tools, and technology solutions about the evolving connected mobility system, thereby informing decision makers about how emerging mobility choices could impact people's lives.