Connected Vehicle Overview
This solution uses the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, 5G, and C-V2X to connect vehicles with other vehicles (V2V), infrastructure (V2I), pedestrians (V2P), and the network (V2N). Onboard units (OBU), roadside units (RSU), and a cloud platform share live traffic data, issue collision warnings, and support driver assistance. The result is safer driving, higher traffic efficiency, and a base for automated driving and intelligent transport.
Connected vehicles are core infrastructure for intelligent connected cars and smart transport. Cellular V2X (C-V2X) provides direct communication under 3GPP Releases 14 and 15, with latency on the order of 20 ms—enough for safety uses such as forward collision warning and blind-spot alerts. Roadside units sit at intersections, ramps, tunnels, and other critical points. They collect signal status, traffic events, and road conditions, then broadcast them to nearby vehicles over PC5 or Uu. Beyond V2X, the onboard unit combines GPS/BeiDou, the CAN bus, and a 4G/5G module for status reporting, remote diagnostics, and over-the-air updates. The cloud gathers fleet data for fleet management, driving-behavior analysis, and usage-based insurance. The solution fits passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and special-purpose vehicles, as well as smart highways and smart cities, and supports safer, more efficient, lower-carbon travel.
Policy and Technical Standards
The Management Specification for Road Testing and Demonstration of Intelligent Connected Vehicles and the New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2021–2035) both support vehicle-to-infrastructure cooperation and intelligent connectivity. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Transport are jointly running pilots that pair smart-city infrastructure with intelligent connected vehicles. Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Chongqing already operate vehicle-to-infrastructure test and demonstration zones. On standards, the GB/T 31024 series, Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems, and YD/T 3340-2018, LTE-based Wireless Communication Technology for Connected Vehicles, define V2X interfaces and message formats. C-V2X follows 3GPP and supports both PC5 direct links and Uu cellular links.
The China Society of Automotive Engineers expects intelligent connected vehicles to exceed 50% penetration in China by 2025, with a clear rise in the share of new vehicles at L2 automated driving or above. Vehicle-to-infrastructure cooperation covers perception gaps that a single vehicle misses in bad weather or when the view is blocked, and it is an important complement as automated driving scales.
Typical Deployment Architecture
Vehicle: OBUs are fitted as factory or aftermarket equipment. They support C-V2X, GPS/BeiDou positioning, and CAN bus collection, and they integrate with the T-Box or domain controller for status reporting and cloud exchange. Over-the-air updates keep the software current.
Roadside: RSUs are placed at intersections, ramps, and tunnels, and connect to signal controllers, cameras, and radar. An edge unit processes live data and broadcasts roadside information (RSI), roadside maps (RSM), and signal phase and timing (SPAT). Units can share sites with smart lamp posts and traffic monitoring, which lowers construction cost.
Cloud: The platform collects trajectories, driving behavior, and event data, and offers fleet management, driver scoring, remote diagnostics, and usage-based insurance. It connects to traffic-management and map platforms to support traffic decisions and travel services.
