- NXP initiated landmark trial: industry leaders NXP, Siemens, Honda, Cohda Wireless, TÜV Süd, Automobile clubs AvD and ANWB and forward-thinking politicians worked together in an unprecedented move to make European traffic smarter, greener and safer
- Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Dutch minister of infrastructure and environment, joined the Grand Finale of the 'Communicating Cars' test drive in Helmond
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands and MUNICH, Germany, Nov. 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Nasdaq:NXPI), alongside leading industry partners and government officials, has celebrated the completion of the 'Communicating Cars' test drive along the Cooperative ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) Corridor spanning Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.
The ITS showcase ended in Helmond following a week-long tour which began at Electronica – Europe's leading electronics trade show – in Munich with industry leaders and high-ranking politicians in attendance. The event saw a convoy of five Honda smart cars start its drive through 1,300km of roads, including ITS test fields in Munich and Vienna, to Helmond. The cars, which were fitted with NXP secure communications technology, demonstrated the benefits of smarter traffic control including improved road safety and traffic flow.
Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen, minister of infrastructure and environment, the Netherlands, welcomed the cars at the finish line in Helmond and took a test drive. The demonstration showed how the new technology could alert drivers to upcoming road works, oncoming emergency vehicles, pending speed limits and breaking of vehicles ahead, all allowing drivers to take the necessary precautions and avoid unnecessary accidents. This is in addition to the use cases showcased in Munich and Vienna which included traffic light communication, slippery road warning, pedestrian crossing warning, and slow vehicle warning.
Joachim Herrmann, minister of the interior, building and transport in Bavaria, commented: "The earlier a driver is informed of an existing traffic jam on the motorway or of an accident, and the more the driver knows about the traffic flow and the current weather conditions on the road, the fewer accidents will occur."
Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen, minister of infrastructure and environment, Netherlands: "The Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems Corridor initiative is an excellent example of European public-private partnership in action. The 'Communicating Cars' trial has been a living, breathing example of how we can all work together to make traffic in Europe smarter, safer and greener. We urge stakeholders to recognise the value of Communicating Cars and support this and other ITS initiatives as they strive to transform vehicle transportation across Europe."
Frans op de Beek, chairman of the Amsterdam Group and Principal Advisor Traffic management, Rijkswaterstaat, said: "Cooperative ITS requires the commitment of many partners from different branches of industry and politics. We are very pleased to see that the industry is actively supporting the deployment of these new technologies – recognizing the value of the Communicating Cars initiative and the European ITS Corridor to citizens and governments."
According to Kurt Sievers, Executive Vice President & General Manager Automotive Business, NXP, "Our Communicating Cars initiative demonstrated clearly how we can work with industry leaders and governments to make traffic smarter and safer on European roads." Mr. Sievers continued, "The support our Communicating Cars initiative has received from ministries, motorway operators and the automotive industry across Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, combined with our industry leading secure V2X technology, pave the way for fast deployment of intelligent transport systems across Europe in 2015."
As a leader in the field of connected cars and a pioneer of secure Vehicle-to-X (V2X) technology – vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication – NXP Semiconductors initiated the 'Communicating Cars' test drive along the European Cooperative ITS Corridor. In addition to ensuring secure connections between the cars involved in the demonstration and the accompanying infrastructure, NXP also engaged other industry leaders to help make the tour a reality, including:
- Siemens: responsible for supplying the intelligent infrastructure, fitting road signs, traffic lights and road obstacles with secure V2X radio sensors
- Honda: supplying the cars for the tour
- Cohda Wireless: supplying the application software
- TÜV Süd, Automobile clubs AvD and ANWB as supporters of V2X communications
Links:
All the information / images from the "Communicating Cars" tour, partners and reports on the road is available at: http://www.nxp.com/events/communicating-cars
Cooperative ITS Corridor
Transport ministers from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands announced in 2013 that they would be creating the Cooperative ITS cross-border corridor. They have subsequently demonstrated an unprecedented level of co-operation across ministries, motorway operators and the automotive industry to prepare the corridor for public use in 2015. The initiative will see roads across the three countries fitted with smart traffic lights, smart road works warnings and other intelligent transport system sensors that are able to interact with connected vehicles and alert drivers to upcoming traffic jams and road hazards before they enter the driver's field of vision. The result will not only dramatically reduce road fatalities, but also minimise environmental damage and economic loss caused by traffic jams, which are estimated to have cost Europe approximately €7.4 billion in 2013 alone.
About V2X technology:
Direct communication with V2X-capable vehicles and intelligent infrastructure, such as intelligent road signs, gives drivers advanced warning of upcoming hazards over long distances and even beyond the driver's line of sight. V2X-capable vehicles also automatically recognise the operating cycle of traffic lights. V2X technology therefore ideally complements existing driver assistance systems such as cameras or radar and has the potential to make road transport much safer and smoother than it is today. V2X communication is not reliant on cellular service providers or other mobile networks, which can be slow or unstable, but uses IEEE 802.11p, a communication standard related to Wi-Fi and tailored especially to the needs of the automotive industry. Direct communication between road users and infrastructure ensures the instant and secure transmission of traffic and vehicle data.
Notes to editor:
Press release on the launch of the Communicating Cars initiative can be found here: http://www.nxp.com/news/press-releases/2014/11/nxp-and-partners-launch-european-test-drive-to-showcase-the-future-of-intelligent-traffic.html
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Nasdaq:NXPI) creates solutions that enable secure connections for a smarter world. Building on its expertise in High Performance Mixed Signal electronics, NXP is driving innovation in the automotive, identification and mobile industries, and in application areas including wireless infrastructure, lighting, healthcare, industrial, consumer tech and computing. NXP has operations in more than 25 countries, and posted revenue of $4.82 billion in 2013. Find out more at www.nxp.com.
About Siemens
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 357,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
About Honda
Honda designs, manufactures and markets automobiles, motorcycles and power products worldwide. A global leader in powertrain and electromotive technologies, Honda produces more than 25 million engines annually for its three product lines. Since its establishment in 1948, Honda has remained on the leading edge by creating new value and providing products of the highest quality at a reasonable price, for worldwide customer satisfaction. In addition, the company has conducted its activities with a commitment to protecting the environment and enhancing safety in a mobile society. The company has grown to become the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer and one of the leading automakers.