In order to have smarter cars we’re going to have to connect them to the internet, to each other, and other things on the side of the road. Audi seems to understand that and they’re bringing in Huawei to help them to connect their vehicles.

The two companies have announced a partnership that will see them developing so-called “Intelligent Connected Vehicles” together. These vehicles will feature a reliable high-speed internet connection, a prerequisite for truly smart cars, and Huawei will be making sure those are installed. It’s not just intelligent cars, though, as Audi and Huawei are planning to “…improve safety and optimize traffic flows in order to create intelligent cities”.

It sounds like pretty dry stuff but the possibilities are not quite as formal. Huawei and Audi intend to design cars that are able to communicate with the environment around them, with the initial research and testing being based in China before moving elsewhere. The successful implementation of their proposed tech could see the rise of a new way to design cities. If a car is able to talk to its surroundings, like traffic lights, connected smart signs, and even smart sections of road, it could make driving safer — for drivers and pedestrians.

Audi and Huawei, along with the Chinese government, have previously collaborated in the rollout of LTE-V, a vehicle-specific communication standard. According to Audi, drivers “…were provided with real-time traffic information via connections to traffic light systems and video monitoring at intersections” in the city of Wuxi in 2017. The next stage of their project will begin at the World Internet of Things Exposition in Wuxi in September this year.

Source: Audi