Photo courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover.

Photo courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover.

Jaguar Land Rover showcased its latest connected and autonomous vehicle technologies Oct. 20, as part of the Autodrive demonstrations in the U.K.

The automaker is working with Ford and the Tata Motors European Technical Center to evaluate the ongoing progress of connected vehicle technologies, encompassing both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications.

UK Autodrive is a consortium of technology and automotive businesses, local authorities, and academic institutions. The three-year project’s focus is on testing self-driving vehicle and connected car technologies.

Development of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies is one of Jaguar Land Rover’s research priorities, the company said. Jaguar Land Rover is creating a fleet of more than 100 research vehicles to develop and test a wide range of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies over the next four years.

“We know that there’s a huge potential for these technologies in future vehicles around the world,” said Tony Harper, head of research for Jaguar Land Rover. “Until now we have focused on communication between Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. This collaborative approach is a major stepping stone towards all connected and autonomous vehicles cooperating with each other in the future.”

Jaguar Land Rover is developing both fully and semi-autonomous vehicle technologies to help drivers with the more challenging or tedious parts of driving while maintaining an enjoyable driving experience, the company said. The goal is to make the autonomous car viable in the widest range of on- and off-road driving environments and weather conditions.

Technologies being tested include Advanced Highway Assist, Electronic Emergency Brake Light Assist, and Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory.

With Advanced Highway Assist, a vehicle can overtake other vehicles automatically as well as stay in its lane on the roadway without the driver having to touch either the steering wheel or the pedals. Electronic Emergency Brake Light Assist warns the driver when a vehicle ahead brakes severely or unexpectedly. This is particularly useful when driving in dense fog or when the vehicle in front is out of sight.

Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory permits travel without the need to repeatedly stop at traffic lights. The car connects to traffic lights advising the driver of the best driving speed required to reach the lights when they're on green. This feature will improve traffic flow, CO₂ emissions, and the driving experience.

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