Eindhoven, Netherlands, Munich, Germany, November 11, 2014 - NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) has teamed up with industry leaders to launch a 'Communicating Cars' test drive along the ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) Corridor across Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Starting today from the world's leading electronics trade show - electronica - in Munich, the tour will see a convoy of Honda smart vehicles drive through 1300km of roads, including ITS test fields in Munich, Vienna and Helmond fitted with Siemens intelligent traffic infrastructure. The demo cars, which are fitted with leading and secure NXP communications technology, will showcase the benefits of smarter traffic control including improved road safety and reduced pollution.

Transport ministers from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands announced in 2013 that they would be creating this cross-border corridor and have subsequently demonstrated an unprecedented level of co-operation across ministries, motorway operators and the automotive industry to prepare the corridor for public use in 2015. The initiative will see roads across the three countries fitted with smart traffic lights and other intelligent road signs that are able to interact with connected vehicles and alert drivers to upcoming traffic jams and road hazards before they enter the field of vision. The result is not only a dramatic reduction in road fatalities, but minimising the environmental damage and economic loss caused by traffic jams, estimated to have cost Europe approximately €7.4 billion in 2013 alone.

As a leader in the field of connected cars and pioneer of secure Vehicle-to-X (V2X) technology - vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication - NXP Semiconductors initiated the 'Communicating Cars' test drive along the European ITS Corridor. In addition to ensuring secure connections between the cars involved in the demo and to the infrastructure, NXP also brought in other industry leaders to help make the tour a reality including:

  • Siemens - responsible for supplying the intelligent infrastructure, interurban traffic systems, urban controller, traffic lights, environmental detection systems and road works warning-systems with secure cooperative V2X modules
  • Honda - supplying the cars for the tour
  • Cohda Wireless - supplying the application software
  • TÜV Süd, Automobile clubs AvD and ANWB as supporters of V2X communications

Kurt Sievers, Executive Vice President & General Manager Automotive Business NXP, said: "With our RoadLINK product NXP is the leading full-range provider of secure V2X chipsets, ensuring maximum levels of secure communications and privacy protection for Connected Vehicles. Our Communicating Cars initiative in cooperation with Siemens, Honda and other partners supports the European ITS Corridor. We will demonstrate how to make traffic dramatically smarter and safer on real roads in Europe. Clearly our initiative will create significant momentum and paves the way for fast deployment of ITS solutions across Europe."

The ITS Corridor tour begins on November 11 and 12, taking Honda vehicles through the NXP / Siemens test route around the electronica exhibition grounds. The cars will then travel to Vienna to drive along the Siemens ITS telematics test field on November 17. They will arrive at their final destination, the Rotterdam and Helmond test fields in the Netherlands, on November 19. Here, a closing conference will be held to discuss important issues concerning road safety with high-ranking politicians and representatives of leading companies and automotive groups.

Wilke Reints, Head of Research and Development for the Siemens Business Segment Intelligent Traffic Systems: "Siemens is a firm believer that intelligent road infrastructure is ready for deployment. Siemens has also conducted intensive research on the subject of communication between vehicle and infrastructure, and believes that policymakers, highway operators and automakers must now work closely together for the pan-European implementation of international initiatives like the ITS Corridor. For future generations of products, Siemens will rely on RoadLINK communications technology by NXP."

"The increasing deployment of intelligent transportation systems provides excellent potential for road safety and traffic efficiency", says Sven Leonhardt, Department Manager for Functions and Material Technologies at Honda R&D Europe. "Our test drive at this event demonstrates that this technology is fully functional. Honda's vision of "Safety for Everyone" is becoming reality".

Links

All the information about the tour, partners and reports on the road is available at http://www.nxp.com/events/communicating-cars

About V2X technology:

Direct communication with V2X-capable vehicles and intelligent infrastructure gives drivers advanced warning of such upcoming hazards as dangerous road conditions, unexpected traffic jams, approaching ambulances or road works all long before they enter their field of vision. These V2X features ideally complement existing driver assistance systems such as cameras or radar. V2X-capable vehicles also receive information from intelligent road signs and automatically recognise the operating cycle of traffic lights. All these use cases have the potential to make road transport much safer and smoother than it is today. V2X communication is not reliant on cellular service providers or other mobile networks, which can be slow or unstable, but uses IEEE 802.11p, a communication standard, which is related to Wi-Fi and tailored especially to the needs of the automotive industry. Direct communication between road users and infrastructure ensures the instant and secure transmission of traffic and vehicle data.

About NXP Semiconductors

NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) creates solutions that enable secure connections for a smarter world. Building on its expertise in High Performance Mixed Signal electronics, NXP is driving innovation in the automotive, identification and mobile industries, and in application areas including wireless infrastructure, lighting, healthcare, industrial, consumer tech and computing. NXP has operations in more than 25 countries, and posted revenue of $4.82 billion in 2013. Find out more at www.nxp.com.

About Siemens

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment - such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems - and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 357,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

Honda designs, manufactures and markets automobiles, motorcycles and power products worldwide. A global leader in powertrain and electromotive technologies, Honda produces more than 25 million engines annually for its three product lines. Since its establishment in 1948, Honda has remained on the leading edge by creating new value and providing products of the highest quality at a reasonable price, for worldwide customer satisfaction. In addition, the company has conducted its activities with a commitment to protecting the environment and enhancing safety in a mobile society. The company has grown to become the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer and one of the leading automakers.

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