By: Natasha Taylor
Vehicle-to-everything technology is revolutionizing the automotive industry, changing the way we use the roads around us, and redefining the driving experience.
By providing a connected ecosystem for entities on the road it is shaping the future of mobility, but what are the benefits of V2X technology for users across the world?
1. Enhanced Road Safety
The main benefit of V2X technology is its ability to make roads safer.
V2X technology enables real-time communication exchange between entities on the road, allowing them to share critical information. The installation and use of an On-board unit (OBU) within a vehicle and a Roadside Unit (RSU) on infrastructure makes this possible.
The information sent can include the speed a vehicle is traveling or any sudden braking, as well as its precise location and the direction it is heading in.
Information can also include any actual or potential hazards on the road and the presence of pedestrians and other road users.
This allows drivers to be more informed and subsequently take evasive action which, as a result, makes roads safer and reduces fatal accidents.
2. Improved Traffic Efficiency
The communication exchange provided by V2X technology can also include real-time traffic updates about traffic flow, signal timings, road conditions, and any collisions or road closures.
Vehicles are able to receive this information from surrounding infrastructure installed with RSUs. The RSUs are able to gather data from traffic lights, road signage, data centers, etc. which can then be transmitted to vehicles or other road users.
Drivers can use this information to optimize their routes and choose one that is more efficient, leading to increased traffic flow and reduced congestion on roads.
Additionally, an advanced use case enabled by V2X technology is platooning. Allowing cooperative maneuvers, platooning can organize multiple vehicles in a line and travel in a formation, maintaining a very close distance to one another.
Vehicles within a platoon can therefore maintain consistent speeds and distance between one another, leading to a reduction in unnecessary accelerations and any sudden lane changes or breaking.
3. Positive Environmental Impact
The implementation of V2X technology can result in a positive environmental impact. As mentioned, when key information about the road is communicated to drivers, they are able to optimize their routes. This is beneficial to the driver but also leads to more eco-friendly driving.
Vehicle users are able to drive in a way that is more fuel-efficient as taking optimized routes and avoiding traffic and congestion leads to the reduction of fuel consumption and emissions from vehicles.
Information about the speed and location of other cars, as well as signal timings, allows vehicles to reduce any sudden acceleration or braking and drive at an optimal speed, all of which also enable greener driving and deliver positive environmental benefits.
5. Monetary Savings
V2X technology has the capacity to provide real economic savings for governments and road users.
Savings come from reducing spending on costs associated with crashes, as well as drivers saving fuel and, as a result, saving money through the use of V2X applications.
According to ITS America, it is estimated that V2X safety applications could alone save $800 billion in annual costs associated with crashes on American roads, and vehicle drivers potentially yield savings of up to 22% due to reduced fuel consumption. [1]
The 5G Automotive Association states the World Health Organization estimates the overall economic impact of road crashes alone can represent 1-5% of a country’s GDP. [2]
5. Automated Driving
By connecting all entities on the road V2X technology is a key enabler of autonomous driving.
The information sent between each entity gives drivers a more complete picture of what is going on on the road and improves their situational awareness.
Like drivers, autonomous vehicles can use this information to make more informed decisions, and therefore, take better control of a vehicle and provide safe journeys for vehicle users with reduced input from them.
6. Enhanced Driving Experience
V2X technology also enables a number of advanced features for drivers that can enhance the driving experience.
This can include information about the local area such as available parking spaces, allowing drivers to park quickly and save time.
With V2X being a key enabler for autonomous driving, there is also the capability for the technology to park a car automatically, reducing maneuvering mistakes made by the driver.
In-vehicle entertainment can also be delivered via V2X due to its ability to connect vehicles to internet networks and cloud services. This has the potential to enable access to in-vehicle entertainment such as content streaming or gaming.
Sources:
1. 5G Automotive Association. 2017. “5G V2X The automotive use-case for 5G.” 5G Automotive Association.
2. ITS America. 2021. “V2X In Danger: How the FCC’s 5.9 GHz Proposal Threatens Transportation Safety.” ITS America.