Fuel Consumption Multidimensional Features Analysis on Urban Roads Based on Structural Equation Model

The growing quantity of motor vehicles aggravates fuel consumption, which is jointly determined by drivers, vehicles, and the external environment. However, limited research has explored how driver attitudes and maneuvers affect fuel consumption. To study the impact of driver attitude, environmental concerns, including environmental threats and personal conservation behaviors, were introduced in this paper. Engine parameters were further used to characterize driving operation. This study used a structural equation model to analyze the impacts of multidimensional features on fuel consumption, such as socio-demographic characteristics, environmental concerns, driving operation, and external conditions. Based on an urban road driving simulation experiment in Nanjing, the static and dynamic data of 56 drivers were obtained. Then, the direct and indirect effects of multidimensional features on fuel consumption were carefully studied. The results show that environmental concerns can express the driver’s attitude toward environmental protection. Driving operation is mainly affected by engine load and engine speed. In addition, driving operation is the most critical factor affecting fuel consumption. The influence of environmental concerns, road facility type, and traffic on fuel consumption is mainly reflected in driving operation. The research explored how multi-dimensional characteristics affect fuel consumption, offering evidence for energy-saving policy design.