The electronics development engineers at Audi not only aimed to make the e-tron as efficient and fun to drive as possible, they were also very concerned with safety and traffic management. The technical concept car includes a prototype of an information processing system. Future generations of these systems will usher in a new era in the networking of road traffic, particularly in regions and countries with a high volume of traffic. This progress is made possible by the rapid advancements in computing power, software and communication technology.
The buzzword "car-to-x communication" refers to the direct exchange of information in flowing traffic and to the traffic environment. The letter "x" is a free variable that can refer just as easily to other vehicles as to fixed infrastructure such as traffic lights. In contrast to today's telematic systems, car-to-x communication no longer requires a central service provider to quickly and effectively pool and process information. The participants themselves perform these tasks by spontaneously networking with one another.
The future car-to-x network still needs some time before it becomes reality on the roads. This obstacle is one that can be overcome, however, as nearly every carmaker in Europe, the U.S.A. and Japan has decided to develop a common standard for hardware and software. Once all new cars are equipped with this technology, a functional network of automotive transmitters will soon be available, at least in large population centers.
These transmitters can be used to open up many new practical applications. Below are just four examples showing the possibilities offered by car-to-x communication.
Example 1 - Efficiency and range:
Numerous external factors influence energy consumption and thus the range of any vehicle. An intelligent vehicle equipped with car-to-x technology is aware of necessary braking or acceleration maneuvers in advance because it combines navigational data with information about the flow of traffic, for example. The central computer can prevent driver actions that would use energy unnecessarily or use targeted braking for recuperation of the battery.
A vehicle has spun out on a slippery road in a blind curve and is unable to free itself under its own power. At the same time, other vehicles are approaching quickly. The stuck vehicle uses car-to-x to send out a warning signal reporting the precise location of the hazardous location. A corresponding warning then appears on the navigation system display of the approaching cars.
Example 3 - Traffic flow:
Many cars are traveling between traffic lights on an arterial road. Over and over again, they accelerate only to have to brake again when the traffic light changes to red. Car-to-x technology enables them to establish a network between themselves and receive information from the traffic light controller. The drivers can then make more judicious use of the gas pedal because they know what to expect. The same applies for imminent traffic jams: cars ahead provide information that results in adjustments to the posted speed limits, noticeably spreading out the traffic.
The driver has entered a shopping center with a chronic shortage of parking spaces into his navigation system as the destination. With car-to-x, the mobile system networks with the parking space registration system at the destination. When the system in the parking garage reports that a convenient parking spot is available, the navigation system can register its location and also reserve the spot.