Audi uses vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technology to tell you about traffic lights in your area.
Back in 2016, Audi partnered with Traffic Technology Services (TTS), a firm that specializes in vehicle connectivity. Now, three years later, they’ve further expanded technology in 2017 and newer Audi vehicles to reduce the amount of time they spend stopped at red lights. Audi’s Traffic Light Information system flashes an indicator in the car’s gauge cluster when it’s approaching a light. From there, it can assist the driver to avoid sitting for an unnecessary amount of time. If you are stuck at a red light, the car will tell you how long it will be until the light turns green again.
Now, there’s a new feature Audi’s adding to the system. Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory (GLOSA) recommends a certain speed to the driver so they avoid the red light altogether. The system works by using the car’s onboard 4G LTE connection to communicate with a city’s traffic management system. That could be a helpful piece of information to have for every time you’ve been stuck guessing whether you need to completely stop for a traffic light, or whether you can roll up to it as it’s turning green again.
Audi has grown the system since introducing it. Now, the V2I interface spans 4,700 intersections in 13 cities. Those cities include:
- Dallas, Texas
- Denver, Colorado
- Gainesville, Florida
- Houston, Texas
- Kansas City, Kansas
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Los Angeles, California
- New York City, New York
- Orlando, Florida
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Portland, Oregon
- San Francisco, California
- Washington, D.C.
- Northern Virginia
Support is limited to newer Audis
Only select 2017 and newer models with Audi connect equipped have access to the feature. It’s a step on the path toward connecting vehicles to their surroundings, something manufacturers are pushing toward in newer models.
Eventually, Audi plans to incorporate the system into things like automatic stop/start and autonomous driving. Then the car can use the information from traffic systems to avoid delay-causing red lights and reduce fuel consumption.
