Influence of information flow topology and maximum platoon size on mixed traffic stability

Beyond platooning with pure connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), mixed platooning with both CAVs and human-driven vehicles (HDVs) emerges as a practical formation pattern in mixed traffic flow. This paper investigates how the two types of information flow topology (IFT) as “looking ahead” or “looking behind”, alongside the maximum size of mixed platoons, influence the stability of the entire traffic flow. Precisely, the mixed traffic system is partitioned into three subsystems: independent HDVs, independent CAVs, and mixed platoons, and a dynamical modeling framework is established under two types of specific IFT: Multi-Predecessor Following (MPF) for “looking ahead” and Multi-Successor Leading (MSL) for “looking behind”. Then, a unified string stability evaluation method is proposed, which captures the role of IFT and maximum platoon size, the latter being associated with the emergence probability of different subsystems and CAV penetration rates. Practical considerations, such as the heterogeneity of vehicle dynamics and the absence of HDV communication capabilities, are also incorporated. Extensive numerical analysis and nonlinear traffic simulations reveal that “looking behind” shows superior performance in mitigating traffic perturbations, especially at low penetration rates, compared with the prevailing choice of “looking ahead”. In addition, increasing the platoon size could further enhance traffic flow stability. These results provide practical insights into the design of IFT and platoon size for CAV cooperation in future mixed traffic environments. • Platooning in mixed traffic flow. • Unified string stability evaluation method. • Information flow topology comparison between “looking ahead” and “looking behind”. • Influence of maximum platoon size of mixed platoons.