Photo: BMW
BMW announced yesterday that it became the first manufacturer in the world that has the EnLighten App integrated with its onboard infotainment system. Therefore, iDrive will start supporting the app above and help you out in traffic. But what exactly does it do?
To put it simply, the EnLighten App shows the current status of the traffic light in front of the car in real time as well as a countdown to when the signal will change. I don’t know about you, but that seems useful.
According to BMW, if the drivers know better how to approach a traffic light they can reduce the fuel consumption of their cars and, in turn, the pollution around.
However, the app doesn’t just show a counter. It will also make recommendations about whether or not to stop for the traffic light based on the current vehicle position and its speed.
At intersections where there are dedicated traffic signals for turns, the activation of the vehicle’s turn indicator tells the app of the driver’s intention to turn so that only the status of the relevant signal is displayed.
There’s a catch, though. For the app to work, the city you’re driving through needs to have an integrated network of smart traffic signals. Those are very rare in the US, only two being known at the moment, Portland and Eugen, OR and Salt Lake City, UT. According to BMW, more cities will follow.
The app can now be downloaded from the App Store and it is compatible with any BMW equipped with the BMW App option.
According to BMW, if the drivers know better how to approach a traffic light they can reduce the fuel consumption of their cars and, in turn, the pollution around.
However, the app doesn’t just show a counter. It will also make recommendations about whether or not to stop for the traffic light based on the current vehicle position and its speed.
At intersections where there are dedicated traffic signals for turns, the activation of the vehicle’s turn indicator tells the app of the driver’s intention to turn so that only the status of the relevant signal is displayed.
There’s a catch, though. For the app to work, the city you’re driving through needs to have an integrated network of smart traffic signals. Those are very rare in the US, only two being known at the moment, Portland and Eugen, OR and Salt Lake City, UT. According to BMW, more cities will follow.
The app can now be downloaded from the App Store and it is compatible with any BMW equipped with the BMW App option.
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