Putting a Stop to Stopping: Jaguar Land Rover Testing Green Light Speed Advisory Tech

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Jaguar Land Rover has announced it will implement Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (GLOSA) technology on a trial basis. The system utilizes vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) connectivity, allowing cars to “talk” to traffic lights while informing drivers of the speed they should travel to avoid having to stop.

GLOSA isn’t a new concept. In fact, it’s been kicked around for years as a potential way to minimize congestion and improve urban traffic flow. The theory involves creating a network of traffic signals that perpetually communicate with connected automobiles and encourage the vehicles to self-regulate their speed. The system works with timed signals, though implementing adaptive signals is believed to further improve the system’s overall benefits.

It’s not the most revolutionary technology under consideration right now — it still relies on the city’s infrastructure keeping tabs on your vehicle to function properly (something we have moderate concerns about). But, if the industry does pivot this way, GLOSA is one of the most common-sense and least invasive automotive advancements currently on the drawing board.

First of all, it doesn’t force the car to do anything (not yet, anyway). The stop light will continue doing its job while providing the driver with some useful information, via V2X, that they’re welcome to ignore. If you want to slam on the brakes at the last minute, you still can. The goal isn’t to eliminate driver involvement; rather, developers just want to make hectic commutes a little more bearable.

“This cutting-edge technology will radically reduce the time we waste at traffic lights,” explained Oriol Quintana-Morales, JLR’s Connected Technology Research Engineer. “It has the potential to revolutionize driving by creating safe, free-flowing cities that take the stress out of commuting. Our research is motivated by the chance to make future journeys as comfortable and stress-free as possible for all our customers.”

GLOSA is being tested alongside several other advanced driver assistance systems, all aimed at improving commutes and reducing emissions. JLR uses the Jaguar F-Pace as its test platform for the tech as part of a $26 million research project based in the United Kingdom.

[Images: Jaguar Land Rover]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Vulpine Vulpine on Nov 17, 2018

    I believe there is one... stating that single car can not be allowed to sit idle for more than 60 seconds. Do YOU know how long that car was sitting there? What's more infuriating to me is a light cycle during rush hour that stays green a mere 10 seconds, letting only 2-5 cars through on a highway that's backed up more than 20 deep. Have YOU ever had to effectively sit through four light cycles at one light before?

  • Slavuta Slavuta on Nov 19, 2018

    Back to the future. In 80ies, in some Russian cities they had this tech, they called "green lane". At every light they had an electronic speed display and they promised that if you keep that speed, you will catch green light at next intersection.

  • Rochester "better than Vinfast" is a pretty low bar.
  • TheMrFreeze That new Ferrari looks nice but other than that, nothing.And VW having to put an air-cooled Beetle in its display to try and make the ID.Buzz look cool makes this classic VW owner sad 😢
  • Wolfwagen Is it me or have auto shows just turned to meh? To me, there isn't much excitement anymore. it's like we have hit a second malaise era. Every new vehicle is some cookie-cutter CUV. No cutting-edge designs. No talk of any great powertrains, or technological achievements. It's sort of expected with the push to EVs but there is no news on that front either. No new battery tech, no new charging tech. Nothing.
  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
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