'Audi's Travolution Project and the Start/Stop Technology'

Audi's Travolution Project and the Start/Stop Technology

By Sam Heisin at 09/19/08 23:47

Travolution is a German traffic light communication management system which currently is supported by Audi's A5 and A6 cars. Well, not much about it, but it is a promising project that will allow you to save fuel, on any car even if it's not a hybrid.

The system is installed in Ingolstadt, the hometown of Audi cars where their headquarters is located. It consists of 46 experimental smart traffic lights that communicates with the passing A5s and A6s. Then the trick starts

What happens is that the car and the traffic lights seem to talk with each other. The car interprets every information it receives from the traffic light and from there, the car will display in its monitor all the information you need. It will give you the ideal speed for a driver before he reach the next traffic light.

The car can also interpret the traffic density information given off by the traffic lights. With this, you can adjust timing and reduce times at the line, which means you can do a total minimization of the massive fuel spending stop-and-go traffic.

You don't own a hybrid, but you save fuel. Isn't that great? How much more if you use it in an already fuel-economy vehicle. I can imagine how great my savings will be if ever that happens.

On a similar note, this reminds me of the Start-Stop engine we have before. Although quite different from each other, they are both aimed reducing the energy use. In which you can save a lot of money for sure.

The Star-Stop engine is now being used in many hybrids. It works in a platform where it is programmed to save the average energy spent by the car. This technology allows your car to shut down its gasoline engine everytme the vehicle is at rest, like a stop at the traffic light. Upon stepping on the gas pedal to go forward, it automatically starts the engine again without having to undergo the usual 'car starting rituals'.

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