Audi pioneers cars that will 'talk' to traffic signals

Instead of drivers having to worry about a red light, Audi says it is going to start rolling out cars that electronically communicate with traffic signals starting later this year.

Initially, the functionality will be rather limited. A display on the instrument panel in front of the driver will show that the traffic light is red and count down the seconds until it is due to turn green. But Audi officials have high hopes for the system as it matures as it become more capable of giving drivers more information about traffic signals.

The rollout of the system marks a huge step in the auto industry's drive to develop cars that communicate with infrastructure -- signals, blind turns, bridges -- in order to make travel safer. The industry has ballyhooed its development of these systems for years, but none have really been able to create a meaningful network.

At the same time, the industry is working on systems that let cars talk to each other in order to avoid accidents. These so-called vehicle-to-vehicle, or V2V, systems let cars know where they are in proximity to each other and determine whether they may collide. Drivers get a warning before it's too late.

Audi says its vehicle-to-infrastructure technology -- called V2I -- will come installed on certain 2017 Q7 SUVs and A4 and A4 Allroad cars, headed to showrooms this fall.

The cars will electronically communicate with signals in select U.S. cities. The car will receive information about traffic lights via a data link. Audi is working with a firm called Traffic Technology Services to make it possible.

“Continuous innovation in connected car services and advanced driver assistance systems that enrich and improve the customer experience is at the core of the Audi brand and our collective future,” said Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America in a statement.