The Navigator

Vehicle to everything (V2X) communications has had a rough go in North America. After more than a decade of development on the Wi-Fi-based dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology - and an aborted attempt to mandate it from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - the Federal Communications Commission pulled the plug in late 2020. Instead, the auto industry has now turned its attention to cellular-V2X (C-V2X) with promising new pilot projects.

The 2017-2019 Cadillac CTS was the only vehicle ever launched in North America with DSRC. Toyota abandoned a plan to start launching the technology across its lineup in 2021, after no other automaker stepped up to follow suit. C-V2X uses the same messaging standards on top of LTE (4G long-term evolution) and 5G-based wireless technologies. Unlike devices such as smartphones, C-V2X devices can communicate directly without going through a carrier network, sharing locally relevant information in real time.