By ATN Editorial Team
Summary: Kapsch TrafficCom and Audi of America have released a roadmap showing how Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) tolling can address North America’s $280B highway funding shortfall while improving safety and efficiency. Their whitepaper outlines how V2X enables real-time, frictionless in-vehicle payments and integrates safety services like work zone alerts and incident notifications. The companies call for national interoperability standards, expanded pilots, and public-private collaboration to accelerate adoption.
Auto Tech View
- V2X tolling could cut infrastructure costs by replacing in-lane sensors with single roadside units.
- Real-time connectivity combines payments with safety and mobility alerts in a unified driver experience.
- Automakers like Audi see V2X tolling as a ready-to-deploy use case, leveraging existing vehicle connectivity.
Kapsch TrafficCom and Audi of America today released findings and a comprehensive roadmap for tolling and transportation funding in North America, powered by Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology.
With the U.S. Highway Trust Fund, which finances highway infrastructure, facing a nearly $280 billion shortfall by 2035, V2X tolling can address critical financial, safety and efficiency challenges across North America’s transportation networks. For leaders in these industries, the report details a scalable solution to enhance infrastructure funding with support from U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The report, titled “Reimagining Tolling and Transportation Funding Through Connected Vehicle Platforms”, explains how V2X can revolutionize tolling, parking, and other transactions by enabling real-time, secure, and frictionless payments directly from vehicles.
“Connected Vehicle technology is no longer a future concept – it’s a present-day imperative, and our role is to translate that connectivity into real public value,” comments Steve Sprouffske, VP Connected Vehicle Services. “Our standards-based, market-ready V2X solutions can use a single roadside unit to manage payments, issue real-time safety alerts, and orchestrate traffic flow all in one digital ecosystem. This approach not only dramatically reduces costs, but it unlocks a new suite of safety and mobility services that drivers will soon expect everywhere.”
The whitepaper emphasizes the role of tolling agencies in leading V2X deployment, citing successful reference operational use cases in the adjacent traffic industry such as emergency vehicle preemption and transit signal priority. It also details the evolution of tolling standards, including SAE J3217 and J3217/R, which enable scalable, interoperable tolling and road user charging systems.
Simultaneously, Kapsch and Audi highlight increasing convergence in the industry with critical traffic safety and mobility use cases, delivering real-time information like work zone alerts, weather warnings, incident notifications, and emergency vehicles creating a data rich, comprehensive system wide approach.
“Automakers have been embedding advanced connectivity into vehicles for years, and now is the time to activate its full potential,” says Brad Stertz, Director of Audi Government Affairs. “V2X tolling represents a vital, scalable use case that enables us to offer drivers a secure and seamless in-vehicle payment system, while giving our public sector partners a clear path toward a safer, more efficient, and financially sustainable transportation ecosystem.”
Why V2X tolling makes sense now
For tolling agencies under pressure to secure revenues, V2X tolling presents a scalable solution that can co-exist with current systems in the near-term while future-proofing operations in the long-term.
Key advantages discussed in the whitepaper include:
- Reduced Infrastructure Costs: A single LTE-V2X RSU can cover an entire toll zone, eliminating the need for multiple in-lane sensors.
- Improved Collection Efficiency: Enhanced vehicle identification reduces reliance on license plate recognition and manual processing.
- Expanded Payment Flexibility: Supports friction-less digital payment platforms.
- Enhanced User Experience: Consolidates traffic alerts and tolling information into a single, comprehensive user experience.
- Automotive Readiness: Systems work with equipment already installed or on the roadmap for OEMs.
- Broad Use Case Support: The same infrastructure can be leveraged for safety, mobility, and automated vehicle applications, maximizing return on investment.
Kapsch TrafficCom and Audi are at the forefront of V2X implementation in the US, ensuring safer and more efficient traffic for transportation authorities across the country.
The report calls for a national interoperability framework and expanded pilot programs to validate V2X technologies across diverse tolling environments. It also urges federal and state agencies to support V2X tolling through policy harmonization, funding, and public-private collaboration.
Earlier this year, Kapsch announced the launch of its production-ready V2X tolling solution and hosted a public showcase at OmniAir Plugfest to demonstrate functionality and market readiness. Kapsch was the first to debut CV-based tolling in 2020 in partnership with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA).
Kapsch TrafficCom remains the only provider offering both radio frequency-based (RFID) and V2X tolling technologies in North America, positioning itself as a leader in the transition toward connected and autonomous transportation.
Please find the white paper here: V2X Tolling White Paper
For more V2X technology news, click here.
