ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The
University of Michigan Transportation
Research Institute (UMTRI) and Toyota Motor North America Research
& Development (TMNA R&D) welcome Toyota team members and
their families as they "Get Connected" in the Ann Arbor Connected
Vehicle Test Environment (AACVTE). The AACVTE is the world's
largest connected vehicle test environment for the DSRC 5.9GHz V2X
technology and operates throughout the city of Ann Arbor. Led
by UMTRI and its partners, the AACVTE builds on the existing
deployment, established in 2012.
Earlier this year, Toyota and Lexus announced plans to deploy
Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) systems on vehicles
sold in the U.S. starting in 2021. And today, Toyota began
inviting its over 1,800 R&D team members and their families who
live and work in Washtenaw County
to have their vehicles equipped with the latest DSRC 5.9GHz V2X
technology connected vehicle systems.
"We believe this represents a significant step forward in
creating a safer and more efficient driving ecosystem while
advancing connected and automated technology," said Wayne Powell, Vice President Electronics Systems
at Toyota Motor North America.
With Toyota's support, the AACVTE will remain the flagship for
connected vehicle and infrastructure deployment and research in the
world.
Connected vehicle safety technology (DSRC 5.9GHz V2X) allows
vehicles to communicate wirelessly with other similarly equipped
vehicles, and to communicate wirelessly with the
infrastructure.
"Ann Arbor is an international
hub for connected vehicle technology and research and it has
everything to do with the community," said James R. Sayer, director UMTRI. "This deployment
allows us to gather data critical to advancing transportation
safety. A fully operational deployment enables UMTRI to
conduct $3-5M in research a year, making it a significant
living laboratory."
To date, $50M has been invested in
connected vehicles and infrastructure in Ann Arbor, beginning with the $30M Safety Pilot DSRC 5.9GHz V2X technology
Model Deployment, launched in 2012 by UMTRI and the U.S. DOT.
AACVTE funding partners include the U-M (UMTRI, Mcity), the
Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), the City of Ann Arbor and other program partners
and suppliers.
In addition to Toyota employees, UMTRI invites all community
members to Get Connected!
If you are interested in learning more about this technology,
email: connectedvehicle@umich.edu.
About UMTRI
The University of Michigan
Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) is committed to advancing
safe and sustainable transportation for a global society.
UMTRI operates a multi-million-dollar research program with broad
faculty expertise, multiple collaborators and draws on scholarly
collaborations to deliver high-quality research and the deployment
of solutions to critical transportation issues. UMTRI is a
leader in connected-vehicle research and testing, sustainable
mobility systems, transportation data fusion and analysis and the
efficient movement of heavy freight. For more information
about UMTRI, its research facilities, faculty and staff, ongoing
research and collaborative opportunities, please visit:
www.umtri.umich.edu
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the
U.S. and North America for 60
years and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation
mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time,
Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have
contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of
more than 36 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14
manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than
47,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North
American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.7
million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2017 – and
about 87 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years
are still on the road today.
Toyota Motor North America Research & Development (TMNA
R&D) aims to redefine next-generation cars as not simply a form
of transportation, but as a fully connected vehicle. In fact, since
2003, Toyota has been awarded more patents than any other
automaker, including autonomous vehicle patents (more than 1,400).
Centered in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
Toyota puts the brightest thinkers from across America together to
focus on letting people live more safely and comfortably. Globally,
Toyota spends approximately $1
million per hour on R&D to ensure that Toyota rapidly
and continuously develops cutting-edge, high-quality, and appealing
vehicles. For more information about Toyota, visit
www.toyotanewsroom.com
Media
Contacts
|
UMTRI - Francine
Romine
|
Toyota-Cynthia
Mahalak
|
734.763.4668
|
734.660.5046
|
fromine@umich.edu
|
cynthia.mahalak@toyota.com
|
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America