Cellular automata-based long platoon models based on dynamic multi-virtual leading vehicles

With the development of Connected Vehicles technology and Cooperative Vehicle Infrastructure System, the “long” platoon has become a promising trend of platooning technology, and long platoons can take the full advantages of platoons in enhancing traffic efficiency and reducing energy consumption. In this paper, we propose a Cellular Automata-based long platoon model in which the platoon is divided into several sub-platoons and virtual leading vehicles are assigned to the sub-platoons dynamically according to the surrounding traffic states. Moreover, to evaluate the proposed model, it is compared with the Lenarska’s model and the traditional Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) model by simulations, and the influences of the long platoon size and traffic perturbations on the platoon are analyzed. The simulations indicate that for the acceleration and deceleration perturbation scenarios, the virtual leaders effectively divide the long platoon into multiple sub-platoons, and its sequence can change dynamically to reduce the influence of the perturbation on the platoon. Compared to the Lenarska’s model and the CACC model, the proposed model reacts to the speed perturbations faster and has smaller speed variations. The proposed model has better stability and safety and is more efficient than the Lenarska’s model and the CACC model.