Eco-Driving Optimization with the Traffic Light Countdown Timer in Vehicle Navigation and Its Impact on Fuel Consumption

For most drivers of fuel-powered vehicles who do not have specialized eco-driving knowledge, simple and practical strategies are the most effective way to encourage eco-driving habits. By incorporating traffic light countdown timers from vehicle navigation systems, this paper develops a 0–1 integer linear programming (ILP) model to determine the optimal speed curve and further provide actionable, easy-to-implement eco-driving recommendations. Specifically, time is discretized into one-second intervals, with speed and acceleration also discretized. Pre-calculating instantaneous fuel consumption under various speed and acceleration combinations ensures the linearity of the objective function. For a specified road and a given time duration, the optimal speed profile problem for approaching intersections is transformed into a series of speed and acceleration selections. Through the analysis of multiple application scenarios, this study proposes practical and easily adoptable eco-driving strategies, which can effectively reduce vehicle fuel consumption, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of urban traffic.