What if you can't afford a Mercedes-Benz with the latest road network software and car-to-car communication? Soon, you may be able to buy it for any car you own.
In a connected car field trial currently taking place in Ann Arbor, Mich., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is testing safety technology that allows cars “talk” to the road and one another. By the end of the year, NHTSA will decide whether to mandate the technology for all new cars.
While eight automakers are involved with the NHTSA test, hundreds of existing automobiles were retrofitted to take part in the test -- proving that older cars can also join the conversation. Cohda Wireless, the company that supplies some of the devices, said the technology can be easily adopted by the aftermarket for use on existing vehicles, and in some cases, a driver’s smartphone can be used to connect to other cars.
Mercedes-Benz also recently introduced an aftermarket add-on kit that will allow its vehicles to talk to one another later this year, and parent company Daimler plans to expand the technology to other automotive brands. For now, it’s available only in Europe, and it works only with an iPhone.
autos.msn.com
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