Sentience intelligent advanced hybrid vehicle demonstrates huge potential for fuel savings for minimal investment

Technology enabling vehicles to ‘see’ beyond the horizon through the use of internet-enabled mobile phone communications, GPS and advanced mapping data has been demonstrated recently. By integrating these modules with the car’s own hybrid control system, the partners in the Sentience project have demonstrated that fuel savings of between 5 and 24 per cent are possible at very modest cost.

The key features of Sentience include:

• Extended electronic horizon through the integration of vehicle systems with mobile communications and advanced mapping technology
• Significant reductions in emissions together with substantial fuel savings – of between 5 and 24 per cent, dependent on driving style – demonstrated in track testing
• Minimal incremental cost of implementation – based on the combination of technologies that are already typically standard fitment on current high-end products and likely to extend across future vehicle ranges
• Scaling the Sentience vehicle test data to average vehicle usage on roads in mainland UK implies a total fuel saving potential of 14 per cent, equating to between 1.2 and 2.9 million barrels of oil per year