June 3, 2010
Audi’s strapline and company ethos ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ (Lead through Technique) is broken down into two aspects: building exceptionally efficient cars, and ensuring those cars provide efficient journeys. Combined, this serves as the basis of Audi’s ‘Travolution’ project initiated in Ingolstadt to transform the way we travel around the city.
Seeing the ‘efficiency’ task as a whole, according to the brand’s development team, involves examining the entire road traffic system. This ‘Travolution’ is actually a concept where cars and traffic signals communicate with one another. As a way to improve fuel efficiency, the idea is to reduce the time spent on idle and in acceleration. Journalists and traffic planners are conducting demonstration runs to test the Travolution around its birth city this week.
The brand aspires to duplicate the results of the first ‘Travolution’ project in 2006, which were instantaneous and impressive. It was determined that reduced idle time—such as while on a standstill at traffic lights—slashed fuel consumption by 17 percent. This equates to approximately 700,000 liters of fuel in a year. What made it a huge hit was the adaptive computing algorithm controlling the traffic signals in Ingostadt, developed by Audi together with partners in advanced engineering colleges and the business sector.
Now, ‘Travolution’ programming is improved further by allowing communication between vehicles and the traffic signal system through wireless LAN and UMTS links. Currently there are fifteen test vehicles of different models and twenty-five sets of traffic lights sampling this in actual traffic conditions.
Data is transmitted from the traffic signals, converted to graphic form and displayed on the car driver information screen. The driver can then adjust the speed so that before the car reaches the next light it is already green. This speed ensures the vehicles flow smoothly and can either be selected at the adaptive cruise control (ACC) or delegated to the car’s control system.
On a red light standstill, the car’s computer “talks to the signal” and calculates how long it would take to switch to green. In contrast, when the car moves toward a traffic light that’s switching to yellow or red, it warns the driver with visual and acoustic signals or by a brief power flow interruption from the hood.
As part of this network system, one can reduce idle time at standstills and cut fuel use by 0.02 of a liter for each stop. Moreover, subsequent acceleration—which accounts for more gas usage—can be prevented. Applying this new technology throughout Germany lowers the CO2 exhaust emissions by about two million tonnes, equivalent to almost 15 percent reduction in carbon dioxide in the air from motor vehicles in metropolitan traffic.
In line with the fuel consumption theme, this ‘Travolution’ system also allows motorists to pay online for refueling and parking. Filling stations and parking facilities would have stationary equipment that communicates with the car. The driver confirms the charge via the multimedia interface which is then automatically posted in the customer’s bank account or credit card.
Select journalists and traffic planners get to experience this network first-hand, as Audi aims to demonstrate the huge potential of this “clean and green” endeavor.
