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Tuesday 11 March 2014


Audi traffic light technology - the fuel saving device of the future

Audi's new traffic light recognition technology could help smooth the progress of driving through towns and cities - helping to improve fuel efficiency and ultimately cut CO2 emissions.

The system harnesses the power of the Audi's in-car internet and uses Audi connect to establish a link with the town or city's central traffic light computer. The traffic light change sequences are then quickly downloaded into the vehicle and on the approach to the lights a set of indicators in the central instrument cluster in the dashboard shows the driver the speed to select in order to pass through the light during a green phase.

If the driver is waiting at a red light, the system will automatically calculate and display the time remaining until the next green light is due to appear and also communicates with the vehicle's start-stop system to ensure the engine is switched back on a few seconds before the lights change.

As a result of the new technology, Audi calculates that it could improve C02 emissions by 15%, and save millions of litres of fuel for motorists around the world.

The new technology is now fully functional and ready to be put into production across the Audi range after extensive testing in cities around the world, subject to government legislation and compatibility with towns and city's traffic light management systems.

Fuelwatchdog.co.uk says:

An integrated traffic light communication system is the logical next step in how vehicles can use their on-board wifi/internet connection to help improve the driving experience and save fuel, following on from Satellite Navigation systems which already advise on traffic congestion and offer alternative routes, which also save time and fuel and have been around for some years now.

However, the actual roll-out of this technology isn't quite as straightforward, with legislation being the first obstacle before a standardised system of computer transmitters from the lights themselves will have to be agreed upon and installed into the millions and millions of traffic lights located around the world. 

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