Volkswagen aims to fit pWLAN in cars by 2019

By 2019, VW wants vehicles to communicate with each other with the aim of increasing safety in traffic.

German automaker Volkswagen plans to add a new dimension to automotive safety. The automaker plans to make public wireless LAN (pWLAN) technology standard equipment in its cars by 2019. The motivation behind this step is to facilitate traffic safety.

pWLAN will help cars to either exchange information with other cars, or with transport infrastructure within a radius of 500 metres. The information includes selected data such as traffic density and road conditions. The technology can also collect data with the local environment, and Volkswagen claims it will even help the driver to virtually look around the corner. The idea is to prepare the driver beforehand for any risky situation or an emergency halt.

The system is based on a special frequency band intended for road safety and traffic efficiency. Thanks to the localised nature of data exchanged using this band, no data is stored centrally, meaning that there are no ongoing communications costs and it does not rely on mobile phone network coverage.

Another advantage of this system is that its technology complies with the industry standard, thereby meaning that the communication won’t be limited to just Volkswagen group cars – it can exchange data with any vehicle given they are equipped with a similar system.

Johannes Neft, Head of Vehicle Body Development for Volkswagen quotes, "We want to increase road safety with the aid of networked vehicles, and the most efficient way of achieving this is through the rapid roll-out of a common technology. What matters most is that the technology is used consistently, and by as many manufacturers and partners as possible."

Back in 2015, the US Department of Transportation, in an official announcement, had expressed the need for cars to have a technology enabling vehicles to communicate with each other. VW seems to be the first manufacturer to bring this concept to fruition. It is safe to predict other auto giants following Volkswagen’s lead very soon.

VW is striving to advance in vehicle technology at a rapid pace. The company has also announced a partnership with US technology giant, NVIDIA, to develop autonomous vehicle Artificial Intelligence (AI).