Audi Cars Will Now Communicate With Traffic Lights

The Feature Will Be Tested in Las Vegas First

Have you ever imagine the amount of fuel you consume while pulling up to a traffic light which has no timer and not knowing how long you have before it turns green?

Fuel saved by the car's start-stop system, or physically switching off your car could alone save a lot of fuel and of course, money. Fuel can now be saved with the new innovate idea being crammed into your automobile from Audi.

Audi is now fitting some selective cars that can communicate with the traffic grid in a city, as a part of its newest vehicle-to-infrastructure program.

Essentially, through a timer on the dashboard, the car will be able to pull up a set of traffic lights and tell the driver when the red light will turn green.

This initial introduction will only be available on the streets of Las Vegas, Nevada where Audi has tied up with the central traffic management system. However they will soon be available in many other cities across northern America too and eventually Europe, Audi Said.

The feature, Traffic Light Information (TLI) as called, will be available in select 2017 Audi A4, Q7 and all road models that were after June 1, 2016 and equipped with an Audi connect Prime subscription.

The traffic management system works via the 4G LTE data connection inside the car, which receives real-time data when a car approaches a traffic signal that is connected through the TLI setup. The car’s TLI system then displays the information either on the instrument cluster in front of the driver or the heads-up display on the windscreen.

Initially the system will only have the ‘Time to Green’ feature, this system can also integrate into functions like the navigation system which could improve the route, help the start-stop system and  of course help the car save much fuel as possible.

Although it is hoped that the tech will eventually help alleviate crashes and reduce congestion on roads and highways, Pom Malhotra, the general manager for Audi’s connected vehicle division said, “This is designed not as a safety feature, but a comfort and convenience feature.”

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