The world of communications is slowly but surely extending to the automotive world. In recent years, work is being done to refine a wireless communication technology called V2X (for vehicle-to-everything). This will allow car manufacturers to install a battery inside their vehicles so that the cars talk to each other and exchange information, all for maximum road safety.
Posted at 11:45 a.m.
But the vehicle equipped with V2X will also be able to exchange information with certain road infrastructures, traffic lights, for example. He will potentially be able to interact with pedestrians, other road users or with road workers who sometimes find themselves too close to cars in their work area. These workers could even one day take advantage of the technology integrated into their safety vest to be quickly notified of any danger.
In general, it is expected that it will therefore be easier to manage traffic, control congestion and reduce accidents. On board his vehicle, the driver will be assisted by receiving various messages such as: human presence on the road ; approaching emergency vehicle ; difficult weather conditions ; warning of a risk of collision at an intersection.
Sci-fi scenario? No way. This reality already exists in the field of aviation to manage air traffic and avoid collisions (TCAS). For the automotive industry, it exists in some countries and it is practically on our doorstep. That said, for this technology to be truly attractive to motorists, it will still have to develop and meet a major challenge, that of being able to dock.
A thousand and one little things
V2X technology will have several uses, which can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending.
If we don’t want the V2X to be lost, it will be very important that the car manufacturers also talk to each other, and that they cooperate with those who manage the road infrastructures. That’s a lot of stakeholders who have never had the habit of communicating with each other.
Until today, car manufacturers created their vehicles, tested them and sold them. Point. For their part, road operators installed traffic lights, tested them, and continued their work. Point.
With V2X technology, they will have to consult each other and ensure that the different pieces of the road puzzle can fit together well.
A concept to refine
Over the past few years, the V2X has been tested around the world. Some have had success in sending messages, ensuring that these messages are well received by the driver, and in communicating with certain road infrastructures. But all is not yet perfect, far from it.
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The components of V2X
The most important company devoted to V2X technology to date is the firm Commsignia, created in 2012 and located in Budapest. For 10 years, it has carried out test benches for various uses of its technology with several companies and is not at the end of its troubles. In fact, the Hungarian firm has been working on fixing V2X issues since its inception.
We must admit that, for the moment, this technology is neither sufficiently clear nor conclusive enough to seduce consumers and lead them to claim V2X in their cars. To date, the technology is so complex that it could even create the opposite effect and put off more than one.
But the work continues. New tests are underway in Europe. In Britain, the Volkswagen Golf 8 already has V2X technology. In China, things are progressing rapidly since every day, 90 car models are already criss-crossing the roads of this country with this technology.
Manufacturers are encouraged to adopt V2X. At Euro NCAP, a company that tests and issues safety ratings for cars in Europe, it has already been announced that from 2027, cars that do not have this technology will not be able to receive the maximum rating of five stars. .
So many indicators that suggest that the V2X will gain ground over the next few years. The safety of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists is too important to do without such an advantageous technology in this regard.
Of course, as always, however, it will be important to remember that technology will not be everything. The human will have to remain vigilant and will have to know the good rules of conduct. V2X technology will only provide additional security and should be considered as an additional aid.
The fact remains that the advantages of this technology are numerous. It remains to be seen how quickly it will be optimal and how quickly it will become accessible to the maximum number of users. Given what it will be able to offer, let’s hope it grows quickly.