Audi working on Travolution technology to further reduce fuel consumption

Audi's main focus with this technology and development is to lower CO2 emissions an increase fuel economy. For a change though its not entirely directed at just their vehicles. Audi are experimenting and developing technologies to be installed into traffic lights around town, these traffic lights will then be able to communicate with your car, the ultimate goal is so reduce co2 emissions and to reduce fuel consumption but how will it all work?

What Audi found during their studies was that when a car comes to a stop at a red robot and then accelerates off again when the light is green, the car has just used 0.02 liters of fuel. Their aim with these studies and new technologies is to reduce this entirely, if possible. They kitted out various Audi cars with this heads up display unit which receives information from the traffic lights regarding when the light is going to turn green. It then automatically suggests the ideal speed that the driver should go, in order for the light to be green when the driver arrives at the light.

Just how much of an effect will this have in the long run? If the technology existed in every traffic light in Germany, Audi say that approximately 900 million liters of fuel will be saved per year. This technology works in conjunction with many of the new start-stop functions that are built into cars to further reduce fuel consumption at red traffic lights, further increasing their reductions.

Further added to this technology is a red light warning, that alerts the driver if they are driving through the traffic light when it is red, with the hope that the number of drivers jumping red lights is reduced. There are some additional features as well, which will attempt to provide information on traffic jams and the like but we will have to see just how well these features turn out.

Source: Audi