Audi inks MoU with Huawei for intelligent connected vehicles

Audi has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese telecom major Huawei for development of intelligent connected vehicles. The agreement forms part of a broad-based partnership between the companies in the two countries initiated by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“We are entering a new era of intelligent vehicle that will see the emergence of new technological synergies between information and communications technology and the automotive industries. With increased innovation in mobile connectivity, Huawei is committed to transforming the driving experience,” commented Veni Shone, president of LTE Solution, Huawei.

According to Huawei, intelligent connected vehicles allow relevant information to be exchanged with the surrounding environment, to achieve this, cars need a high-quality, stable data connection. The expansion of this communication requires intensive research and development. The cooperation between Huawei and Audi is also intended to facilitate the ongoing advancement of intelligent driving and the digitalisation of services in the vehicle environment. To this end, the parties have additionally agreed to jointly develop training programs in order to strengthen the skills of technology experts in both of these areas.

“We are intensifying our joint research with Huawei in the area of intelligent connected vehicles. Our aim is to improve safety and optimise traffic flows in order to create intelligent cities. The concepts will initially be concentrated on the Chinese market,” said Saad Metz, executive vice president of Audi China.

Working in cooperation with Huawei and the Chinese authorities, Audi became the first foreign automobile manufacturer to participate in the first-time deployment of ‘LTE-V’ on public roads in the megacity of Wuxi in eastern China in 2017. ‘LTE-V’ is a mobile communication standard, which is specially tailored for connected cars. The drivers were provided with real-time traffic information via connections to traffic light systems and video monitoring at intersections. In September 2018, the project will enter its next phase at the ‘World Internet of Things Exposition’ in Wuxi with an even broader range of applications.

Before signing the new MoU, Huawei and Audi have cooperated in many areas related to intelligent connected vehicles in recent years. The two companies initiated the telecom-vehicle cross industry organisation 5GAA and have held several joint demos/trials in various countries including Germany, Spain and China, ensuring the vibrant growth of the intelligent connected vehicles domain.