New Audi Technology Will Tell Drivers Exactly When The Light Will Change

Anyone who’s ever been in a hurry to get somewhere and found themselves stuck at a traffic light knows that waiting for it to turn from red to green can feel like an eternity. Audi wants to get rid of that feeling with new technology that lets drivers know exactly when that light will change.

The German automaker wants to introduce technology in the U.S. that allows cars to communicate with traffic lights, saying it will be the first to introduce “vehicle to infrastructure service” (V2I). The tech will work with select 2017 Q7 and A4 models built after June 1, 2016, Audi says.

“The car receives real-time signal information from the advanced traffic management system that monitors traffic lights,” Audi explains, by sending information via the car’s on-board LTE data connection and Traffic Technology Services, Inc. servers. The driver information system will then provide a countdown clock of the time remaining until the signal changes to green.

The countdown will also pop up on the dashboard if your car decides it can’t make an approaching light before it turns from yellow to red, giving the driver enough time to start braking.

If you’re hoping the tech will come to your hometown, you may be in for a wait: the company says the new service is set to launch in “select smart cities” this fall in the U.S., but declined to mention which cities will be included.

“This feature represents Audi’s first step in vehicle-to-infrastructure integration,” said Pom Malhotra, General Manager, Connected Vehicles. “In the future we could envision this technology integrated into vehicle navigation, start/stop functionality and can even be used to help improve traffic flow in municipalities. These improvements could lead to better overall efficiency and shorter commuting times.”