The connected car: helping to reduce CO2 from road transport

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) last week hosted the second of a series of workshops on the potential for CO2 reductions from cars and vans.

Part of a wider efforts to integrate approaches to reducing the environmental impact of road transport, this workshop – the second of eight – explored the range of ITS and connected car technologies that could be deployed to help reduce CO2 from road transport.

A number of stakeholders from ITS-related fields joined in order to contribute views and information on the range of options available or in development.  Later discussions centred on barriers to the uptake and rollout of these new connectivity technologies.

ACEA Secretary General Erik Jonnaert greeted the stakeholders by saying, “Motor vehicle manufacturers have already begun working on connectivity technologies. The possibility of connecting vehicles to each other and to the infrastructure opens up huge possibilities, not just in CO2 emissions reduction, but also in road safety. We hope that by joining together to discuss, contrast and compare the range of solutions becoming available, that we will be able to gain a better understanding of the full potential of available technologies and methods.”

This passenger car and light commercial vehicle initiative is matched by a set of roundtables that ACEA is already hosting to establish a comprehensive approach to reducing the CO2 impact of trucks and buses.