Panasonic Corporation of North America, Qualcomm Technologies, and Ford Motor Company have joined forces to deploy Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technologies in Colorado, United States. This is the first deployment of C-V2X technology in the United States and is an extension of a previously announced partnership between the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Panasonic to integrate connected vehicle technology in the state of Colorado.

Panasonic, Qualcomm Technologies and Ford have joined the advanced development efforts to help deploy the technology, and to assess C-V2X capabilities on select roadways throughout Panasonic's CityNOW headquarters in Denver, which will be followed by deployment in select areas along the I-70 Mountain Corridor later in the year.

Panasonic will work with Kapsch TrafficCom in CDOT's V2X development program, in which Kapsch TrafficCom will provide roadside units (RSUs), as well as with Ficosa to provide C-V2X onboard units (OBUs). The transit authority's existing fleet of Ford utility vehicles will be equipped with C-V2X devices utilizing Ficosa's CarCom platform to enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) direct communications. Panasonic's connected vehicle data platform will collect and disseminate C-V2X data to provide roadway operators with improved situational awareness and a new ability to send safety critical information directly to vehicles.

"The state of Colorado has been focused on the rapid deployment of connected vehicle technology to advance safety and are encouraged by the progression of C-V2X," said Michael Lewis, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Transportation. "We're ready to help advance vehicle safety and serve as a hub for advanced vehicle testing, and development, with the support of Ford and technology leaders like Qualcomm Technologies and Panasonic."

C-V2X is designed to be globally compatible with 5G and complement other Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors, such as cameras, radar and Light Detection and Radar (LIDAR). C-V2X direct communication mode is designed to offer vehicles low latency communications for Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Roadside Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) without the involvement of a cellular network, or cellular network subscription, by operating on designated and harmonized 5.9 GHz ITS spectrum.

Recent field test results show a significant range, reliability, and performance advantage of C-V2X direct communications, with more than twice the range and improved reliability compared to 802.11p radio technology.

"We are pleased to have aligned with Qualcomm Technologies with a deployment-ready environment and show our confidence in C-V2X's safety critical communication capabilities," said Jarrett Wendt, Executive Vice President, Panasonic Corporation of North America. "We look forward to working alongside Ford, Qualcomm Technologies and the state of Colorado to accelerate industry deployment for the technology in Colorado and beyond."

"C-V2X is core to Ford's vision for the future of transportation and we believe strongly in its potential when integrated with Denver's smart city initiatives," said Don Butler, Executive Director, Connected Vehicle Platform & Product, Ford Motor Company. "Initial field test results demonstrate that C-V2X is the clear choice for the global solution for V2X and the deployment of C-V2X in Colorado will further support this."

"Cross-industry collaboration is essential for C-V2X to reach its full potential and fully integrate into cities around the world," said Nakul Duggal, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.