The networked vehicle

Networking refers to communication between vehicles and with the infrastructure, such as traffic lights or traffic control systems. In networked mobility, the term vehicle-to-X communication (V2X) covers direct communication both between vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle, V2V) as well as between road users and permanently installed infrastructure (vehicle-to-infrastructure, V2I).

This is particularly relevant for road safety. Vehicle-to-X communication quickly warns and informs the driver of hazardous situations such as accidents, black ice, broken-down vehicles, or traffic jams along the route, even if they are not yet in sight. With automated driving, the vehicle could brake or change lanes on its own in such cases to avoid the hazardous area without the driver having to intervene. In adverse weather conditions such as snow, fog, or dirty roads, information that is yet to be fully captured by the vehicle sensors can be supplemented by vehicle-to-X communication. This is thus an ideal complement to automated driving. Vehicle-to-X communication enables the vehicle to collect traffic information in fractions of a second – for example, about traffic light phases and road works –either from vehicles on the road ahead or from traffic guidance systems, and to process it immediately.

In addition, innovative technologies enable greater comfort and significant time savings for both drivers and passengers. The intelligent networking of vehicles and parking spaces offers the potential to significantly shorten the search for a parking space and allows the car to park itself at the touch a button. For example, the fully automated vehicle can find an assigned parking space in networked parking garages – without the need for a driver. To this end, the vehicle is parked in a special drop-off zone with the parking function activated. When the vehicle is picked up, the driver activates the relevant function, and the vehicle presents itself.

Flowing and safe traffic is a cornerstone of economic growth and prosperity for every country in the world. The traffic of the future must be intelligently networked. Vehicles are becoming increasingly intelligent thanks to digitalization. The interaction between transport modes and the infrastructure is making a major contribution to the transformation of mobility.

Global networking in the wake of the digital revolution is revealing solutions in the transportation sector that combine greater safety, resource savings, mobility, growth, and participation in all of this. Information exchange, communication, and the use of telematics – i.e., the linking of the fields of telecommunications and information technology – will be of great importance for the future of automobiles and transportation.

Intelligent networking of vehicles and digitalization inside and around the car will revolutionize traffic. What the networking of traffic will look like in 20 years' time is, of course, still unclear. What is certain, however, is that information exchange and communication will play a prominent role. The technical innovations on which the German automotive industry is working hard will lead to further advances in vehicle safety, environmental friendliness, and comfort.

Information and communication systems in vehicles and the networking of modes of transport with road traffic and infrastructure are a key issue for the automotive industry. Vehicle manufacturers and vehicles offer networked mobility that recognizes and responds to the needs of drivers.

The vehicle is becoming the communication hub for connected mobility. Cooperation between partners from information technology and government or public sectors is needed here. It is necessary to face the infrastructural and technical challenges, to create a legally secure framework for all participants, and to establish the appropriate business models.