Going Green with V2X

No, we’re not talking about environmental initiatives — we’re talking about the green that fleet drivers love most… a green light. 

V2X stands for vehicle-to-everything, and it refers to a component of the Internet of Things technology that connects a vehicle to anything around it that could impact its safe operation. The United States began developing intelligent transportation communications over 20 years ago. V2X is finally making inroads in communities across the country, as automakers equip their vehicles with V2X technology, and V2X gets a significant boost from the new federal infrastructure plan.  

One reason V2X is important to fleet managers is because it allows their vehicles to communicate with the moving traffic systems around them safely and intelligently. Simply put: V2X is going to change everything about how your drivers drive and how your people and products move. In a V2X world, vehicles talk to each other, to traffic lights and parking spaces, to pedestrians with smartphones, and to data centers via cellular networks. 

Nick Porrini and Mark Seng of Connex2x and Thomas Bauer of Traffic Technology Services, Inc., will explore the future of V2X and its impact on fleets in their I&E presentation, “Going Green, It’s Not What You Think! The Why and How of Getting Started with V2X Technology,” scheduled for Tuesday, April 12 at 11:30 am, on the main stage in the Expo Hall. “We’re going to focus on traffic lights and then ease into V2X,” says Porrini. “There are still a lot of people who don’t know much about V2X.” 

“The important thing to realize about V2X is that it is not some futuristic thing on the horizon,” says, Joe Zucchero, chief technology officer for Connex2x. “It’s here and now. Fleet managers will be able to fire up their vehicles and communicate with the new technology infrastructure.” The U.S. Department of Transportation has a heat map that shows where the infrastructure already is and where it’s going to be, he says. 

First and foremost, Zucchero says the purpose of V2X is to dramatically increase safety. “It’s about helping the driver know what’s going on around them,” he says. “V2X is the future of driving. It’s brings safety and fuel efficiencies, and cuts back on driver frustrations.” 

If you would like to learn more about V2X, NAFA will be hosting a seminar series on this topic.