Audi's Travolution Reduces Traffic Emissions

German car manufacturing firm Audi is working on a new fuel-efficient travel system that represents a novel approach to environmentally-friendly driving.

The company’s ‘Travolution’ project is based on the idea of cars and traffic lights communicating as a means of minimising traffic build-up and reducing associated fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions levels.

Physical demonstrations of the system took place in Germany at the start of June 2010 for the benefit of both officials and media representatives.

Travolution: Road Traffic Emissions Reduction

The Travolution road traffic emissions reduction system involves wireless local area networks connections between cars and traffic lights which supply a flow of data from one to the other.

This data appears in graphic form on car dashboards and among the information highlighted is the recommended speed to drive in order to make sure the next traffic light coming up is green, and that the car can pass through it without having to wait in line and then accelerate off, both of which processes increase fuel consumption and emissions levels.

Among the other data presented is:

• A general round-up of where local traffic is building up
• A warning of when a green light is set to become red or yellow (this information coincides with a short loss of engine power, and/or a flashing display)
• Information relating to how long a car will be waiting in traffic before the red light turns green

Audi Travolution System

Initial trials of the Audi Travolution system took place four years ago and these resulted in associated fuel consumption levels dropping by 17 per cent. As of June 2010, more than 25 traffic lights and 15 vehicles are now using it and the results of their communications gathered in and analysed.

According to Audi, Travolution is capable of reducing fuel consumption levels by approximately 200 millilitres for each traffic light wait that does not take place as a result of its use.

This is equivalent to about five grams of carbon dioxide and – based on the total number of traffic lights in Germany, which is 60,000 – if every car and traffic light in the country used the system, two million less tons of co2 exhaust emissions would be produced.

See also:

Roads to Offset CO2 Emissions