The University of Michigan recently conducted an experiment using in-car GPS data to try and alleviate the issue of long traffic signal stops. The 18-month study is claimed to be the world’s first large-scale, cloud-based traffic signal retiming system.
It used GPS data from General Motors cars traversing Birmingham, Michigan. Researches say by using this limited data, they were able to reduce the number of stops by 20-30 percent at signalized intersections. U-M states the study “represents a major opportunity for communities to recalibrate their signal patterns at reduced costs.”
Volvo is rolling out a new safety feature that can warn of a crash or breakdown ahead, which could be crucial on winding roads or when there's poor visibility. Called Accident Ahead Alert, the system relies on cloud technology and anonymously shared real-time data gathered by various national traffic management centers.
In compatible Volvo models, the driver will receive a warning about a vehicle ahead while the gap is still hundreds of feet. Compatible Volvo cars can already warn each other of slippery road conditions and other hazards, and the automaker is looking to integrate more traffic information provided by traffic management centers as the information is made available.
VinFast’s founder has announced a new arm called V-Green to build EV chargers, focused on bolstering global access while prioritizing sessions for VinFast drivers, accelerating the Vietnamese automaker’s expansion into new markets.
In addition to taking over the operations and management of VinFast’s current charging network overseas, V-Green will invest 10 trillion VND (~$404 million) over the next two years to upgrade and expand it. Those chargers will be installed and made available exclusively to VinFast drivers in Vietnam.
Imagine pulling up in a garage or parking lot in your nearly depleted EV, and having no pesky charging cables to fiddle with, no payment systems to navigate, and no charging apps to download. Just park and walk away. Researchers are taking wireless charging seriously, and one U.S. lab has achieved a breakthrough: 96% efficiency in a 100kW wireless charging test.
Tennessee-based Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the same lab at the forefront of atomic discoveries in the 1940s, and several other breakthroughs in supercomputing, materials sciences and energy storage, recently charged a Hyundai Kona Electric using electromagnetic waves with 96% efficiency.
The Biden Administration has released the first-ever strategy document detailing its plan to target specific freight corridors for infrastructure improvement, with the intent of helping to reach its goal of 100% zero-emission new truck sales by 2040. It’s the first attempt by the US government to propose a consistent strategy for electrifying freight transport nationwide.
Areas are targeted partially due to how much traffic they see, but also other important factors like areas that experience disproportionate air quality burdens, and with a particular interest in states with policies that enable zero-emission vehicle deployment (specifically, California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which several other states have adopted).