THEA collaborates with auto manufactures to deploy vehicles with connected vehicle technology

Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) has announced that it is collaborating with Honda R&D Americas, LLC, Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI), and Toyota Motor North America to deploy vehicles with connected vehicle technology already installed. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) vehicles and hardware provide the next evolution of delivering safer transportation. 

This collaboration is among the first of its kind where multiple OEMs are coming together in an existing Connected Vehicle (CV) deployment. The OEM vehicles will not only interact with one another but also the existing CV Pilot participants. Each of the OEMs has selected DENSO, a leading mobility supplier with over 15 years of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) experience, as its onboard unit (OBU) provider. Building on the CV Pilot apps, DENSO will develop a common set of CV apps for the OEMs, enabling the rapid communication between vehicles and surrounding infrastructure.

THEA’s CV Pilot applications have proven that information from connected infrastructure can benefit drivers, automakers, and road operators as a means to transmit crucial safety information.

This collaboration with Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota is the next step in making connected roadways a reality in Tampa Bay. Connecting roadways and infrastructure lays the foundation toward a technology-based transportation system – a true “Smart City.”