General Motors Beginning Real World Test of Connected Vehicle System in Michigan

General MotorGMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
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has begun a real world test of its Connected Vehicle Development program in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Connected Vehicle Development aims to test vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication that would allow cars to tell one another about hazards. The test in Ann Arbor will constitute eight BuickBuickUnited States of America, 1903 > present68 models
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and CadillacCadillacUnited States of America, 1902 > present79 models
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cars. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute will conduct the test, which is located in Ann Arbor.  

V2V sends data about speed, location and direction between cars. V2I receives information from traffic signals and road surface conditions. When integrated these systems can know if cars have broken down, and the car's systems will know exactly where all nearby cars are located and how quickly they are approaching. 

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration will evaluate the data when the test is over in late 2013 to see if the system is useful enough to warrant a larger test. 

“Safety is our No. 1 priority, and this research could save lives and prevent injuries across America. With more than 30,000 people a year killed on our nation's roads, we need to keep looking for new ways to improve safety and reduce fatalities," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

While GM has been spearheading the development of these systems, if the NHTSA finds them to aid safety, then the next step will be to make the cars communicate between brands. That will likely mean developing a single, standardized system. 

GM says that V2V is production viable. V2I is more complicated. The test required 73 miles of road in Ann Arbor to be installed with the necessary instruments.

“It will take approximately another five years of market penetration for customers to truly benefit from the technology. Ultimately, V2V and V2I technologies stand to improve traffic safety and efficiency for many drivers," said Hariharan Krishnan, GM R&D technical fellow.