Driving the Future -- Toyota Team Members Get Connected

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.

With Toyota’s support, the AACVTE, housed at the University of Michigan, will remain the flagship for connected vehicle and infrastructure deployment and research in the world.

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