NXP “Welcomes” U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Mandatory Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication Regulations

The United States Department of Transportation (DoT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

NXP Semiconductors stated that it welcomes the proposed regulation, which mandates the application of vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology to all small vehicles.

V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) technology enables vehicles located more than one mile apart to communicate directly wirelessly with each other, and it will serve as the foundation for the future introduction of autonomous vehicles. V2X technology allows drivers to perceive a wider range, extending beyond the range of human visual perception.

Thus, it is a core technology that enables machines to drive better than humans. Furthermore, because V2X is reliable regardless of weather or lighting conditions, it is expected to provide significant complementary effects to existing driver assistance technologies used in autonomous vehicles, such as radar, cameras, and ultrasound.

Along with the announcement of these regulations, a report on the preliminary outlook for the safety effects of Left Turn Assist (LTA) and Intersection Movement Assist (IMA) was also released. According to the report, these technologies are expected to reduce annual collision accidents by 592,000 and fatalities by 1,083. Other research suggests that V2X technology reduces carbon emissions and can also improve traffic flow by alerting drivers to congested or hazardous areas one mile in advance.

NXP possesses industry-leading technology, such as the RoadLink solution, a full-fledged automotive security V2X system solution. Security is vital in wireless communication. Therefore, the RoadLink solution incorporates high-performance security elements equivalent to those used in bank cards or electronic passport systems to block hacking attempts on connected cars. The NXP RoadLink solution is integrated into Delphi's communication platform and is scheduled to be introduced in mass-produced vehicles in the United States for the first time.

Kurt Sievers, General Manager of NXP’s Automotive business, stated, “As one of the leading technology providers in the automotive market, this announcement that we can bring this technology, which contributes to driver safety, to mass production sooner than expected will be a significant milestone in the history of the industry and will change road traffic and automobiles in a completely different direction.”

According to Kurt Sivers, the market has been grappling with the chicken-or-the-egg dilemma. “Safety technology must be installed not only in the driver’s own vehicle but also in other vehicles that could pose a risk to it,” he explained. “This decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation has paved the way for the adoption of V2X technology by the industry and policy-making bodies.”

In addition, “NXP has been deeply involved in the testing process of these technologies from the beginning.” "Therefore, we anticipate that applying V2X technology to just 5–10% of all vehicles will generate positive ripple effects. For example, driving at the same speed as other vehicles can improve traffic flow. These benefits will expand as the number of vehicles equipped with V2X technology increases, and the newly announced regulations will serve as an important foundation to accelerate this change," he added.