Stellantis is emerging as a leader for vehicle-to-everything safety technology.
Over 1.8 million Stellantis vehicles in the United States and Canada are now equipped with the company's vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology that can alert drivers of nearby hazards, thereby reducing the chances of a crash since drivers will be more prepared to take evasive action.
V2X forms part of the Emergency Vehicle Alert System (EVAS) in multiple Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, and Jeep models and can warn drivers of hazards like an active fire truck, an ambulance, or other hazards. The feature is available on 2018 and newer models and is integrated into the vehicles' Uconnect interface.
Considering that Stellantis was testing V2X as recently as 2021 on models like the Jeep Wrangler 4xe Hybrid, it's great to see the tech roll out on such a wide scale not long after that. The technology works by linking to the Safety Cloud, the largest V2X platform in the country, with digital alerting from HAAS Alert.
Safety Cloud receives alerts from tow trucks, work zones, disabled vehicles, highway gates, and any other asset that is connected. If an incident occurs, nearby Stellantis models equipped with the tech can receive this information.
But the full potential of V2X is yet to be realized, and Stellantis is investigating how it can build upon EVAS with the Hazard Enhanced Location Protocol (HELP). When engaged in a disabled vehicle, HELP sends that vehicle's location to the safety cloud, and that is then transferred as a warning message to the Uconnect system. Drivers approaching the disabled vehicle then have around 15 to 20 seconds to react, or a distance of about a quarter-mile.
15 seconds or a quarter-mile is a fairly long time for the driver to react and could dramatically lower the odds of a vehicle crashing into another one that's stranded on the road.
In low visibility conditions, disabled vehicles stopped on the roadway or shoulder kill or injure over 40 people per day and contribute to a crash every seven minutes in the USA, says Stellantis, based on research in a peer-reviewed public health journal, Accident Analysis and Prevention.
“The widespread deployment of EVAS in North America demonstrates how Stellantis is harnessing the power of V2X technology and in-vehicle technology to make mobility safer for our customers,” said Stellantis chief software officer Yves Bonnefont. “We're proud to be the first global automaker to make V2X digital alerting a standard safety feature for our connected customers, and we are continuously looking to expand its capabilities.”
V2X has caught the attention of other automakers like Ford and Audi, both of which have conducted trials, and at least two United States senators believe the tech has the potential to save many lives.
Keyword: Here's How Your Jeep Or Ram Could Save You From A Serious Crash