Other states, including Utah, have deployed connected vehicle technology largely aimed at delivering messages to drivers regarding real-time safety alerts related to weather, car crashes or work zones.
The North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) is set to begin testing connected vehicle tech on the Triangle Expressway, a six-lane, 37-mile section of Interstate 540 and the state’s “first modern toll road.” The project is a partnership with Kapsch TrafficCom, and has already deployed roadside devices and onboard units in state maintenance vehicles, collecting data and testing the technology.
The endeavor, which includes Volvo USA, is now set to begin testing the tech in Volvo vehicles, with customer outreach to begin in May to establish a 100-person test group of Turnpike users. Mastercard, Red Hat and Microsoft have also been named as partners.
“As connected vehicle technology advances, this pilot will explore how in-car payment solutions can complement traditional RFID [radio frequency identification] tolling while maintaining the same high standards of utility, security and interoperability,” Logen Hodges, NCTA director of communications and marketing, said in an email.
Drivers with a 2023 or newer Volvo who are enrolled in the pilot can link their vehicle identification number to a secure payment system, “enabling automatic toll payments to be processed as the vehicle travels through a tolled section of the roadway,” Hodges said.
“Similar to contactless ‘tap-to-pay’ technology, the vehicle’s infotainment system seamlessly connects to the driver’s profile when approaching a toll point, processing transactions in real time,” he said, noting drivers enrolled in the pilot will save 50 percent on North Carolina tolls.
The technology is built on the Android Automotive Operating System, setting the stage for future expansion that could allow the vehicle to serve as an extension of a mobile wallet — with the potential to enable frictionless payments in parking garages, car washes, gas stations and other areas, experts said.
“The car is the [tolling] tag now,” JB Kendrick, Kapsch North American president, said, calling to mind the transponder devices issued to tolling customers. Tolling technology has often been centered around vehicle transponders, which automatically handle payments each time a car passes through a tolling plaza. Many agencies now use license plate reading technology as an added way to handle fare collection.
“But now, with connected vehicle [technology] we are even surpassing what that transponder used to do,” Kendrick said as she unspooled the possibilities available to tolling agencies and their communications with drivers. “I can send you a message back. So I can divert you if I need to. I can tell if there is a construction zone, or a terrible accident.”
Tolling agencies have expressed support for the new and real-time abilities to communicate with drivers, she said: “Having that immediate ability to send out a message to them [drivers], whether it’s weather or construction, or an accident.”
“We are considering options to incorporate communications with vehicles from the roadside,” Hodges said. “We will be testing safety focused tech like this on the Triangle Expressway and I-485 Express Lanes.”
