Stopping at traffic lights may be a thing of the past for Audi drivers with a new technology being launched in July.
All new Audi models in Ingolstadt, Germany will receive technology which will tell them the speed they need to travel at to avoid stopping at the next set of traffic lights, which in theory will ensure a smoother flow of traffic.
The ‘Traffic Light Information’ has already been made standard for Audi drivers in the United States and sees drivers given information via their ‘virtual cockpit at more than 5,000 intersections. When the lights reach red, a countdown on the dashboard will alert drivers to the next green phase.
The technology will be rolled out across all European A4, A6, A7, A8, Q3, Q7 and Q8 models for those opting in to the required navigation and infotainment package.
Europe’s older road network system has made the transition of the technology a trickier challenge says Audi’s Head of Connected Services, Andre Hainzlmaier, but with many councils in the UK already trialling connected traffic systems, Audi drivers could soon be enjoying a smoother ride.
“The challenges for the serial introduction of the service are much greater here than, for example, in the USA, where urban traffic light systems were planned over a large area and uniformly,” said Hainzlmaier.
“In Europe, by contrast, the traffic infrastructure has developed more locally and decentrally – with a great variety of traffic technology.
“How quickly other cities are connected to this technology depends above all on whether data standards and interfaces get established and cities digitalize their traffic lights.”