Toyota, Lexus to launch ‘talking’ vehicles in 2021

Dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) systems are one tool in automakers’ bag of tricks to reduce accidents, improve traffic and eventually usher in autonomy. And in less than half a decade, you’ll start seeing this tech on new Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

Toyota announced that it intends to deploy DSRC tech on Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the US starting in 2021. The goal is to have this tech on most of its lineup by the mid-2020s.

“By allowing vehicles’ intelligent systems to collaborate more broadly and effectively through DSRC technology, we can help drivers realize a future with zero fatalities from crashes, better traffic flow and less congestion,” said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor North America, in a statement.

Japan is already ahead of the curve. Toyota’s main base of operations is already home to some 100,000 vehicles equipped with DSRC, as the automaker’s been selling DSRC-equipped vehicles there since 2015.
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