New tech being tested on the F-Pace
From Motor Trend
Jaguar Land Rover
is one of the many automakers exploring a future that involves cars
communicating with road infrastructure to minimize traffic jams and
improve safety. It participated in a U.K. research project testing
technologies that can help drivers avoid red lights and handle
intersections more effectively.
When properly set up, roads can
send traffic light information to a connected car. With that info, the
car calculates an optimal traveling speed that will help it avoid red
lights, which not only reduces traffic congestion but also curbs
emissions. Jaguar
vehicles are also testing technology that warns a driver if it's unsafe
to enter an intersection, and assigns priority when multiple connected
vehicles come to an intersection and there is no traffic light to
dictate the vehicle that should go first.
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| © Motor Trend Staff |
These Vehicle-to Infrastructure (V2X) technologies have been trialed on F-Pace
crossovers in the U.K. It's part of a $25 million research project
funded by the U.K. government and industry members to accelerate the
development of self-driving cars. Ford and Tata Motors European Technical Center were also involved in the three-year project that ended in October.
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| © Motor Trend Staff Jaguar F Pace V2X rear three quarters |
Other technologies that came out of the program include a feature
that warns drivers when an emergency vehicle is approaching, a feature
that provides real-time parking information, and an in-car display
feature that alerts drivers of current road conditions. Another feature
alerts a driver when a vehicle ahead brakes suddenly, even if the
weather conditions are poor or there are other vehicles in between the
driver and the braking vehicle.
Audi has already rolled out a traffic light information system
that can tell drivers how long they'll be stuck at a light. Of course,
the feature only works in cities with the infrastructure to support such
technology, including Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Denver, and a
few others. Meanwhile, Cadillac plans to introduce V2X technologies on a high-volume crossover by 2023.
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