Automotive networking and applications [Series Editorial]

In this 14th issue of the Automotive Networking and Applications Series, we are pleased to present three articles that address ??? Release 1 of the cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) standards in Europe ??? The implementation of a virtual traffic lights application with only partial market penetration ??? The usage of multihop wireless communications for intra-car sensor networking By timely information exchanges among vehicles, and between vehicles and roadway infrastructure, vehicles can transform from autonomous systems into cooperative systems, thereby enabling applications such as active road safety and traffic efficiency. Cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) standards are crucial to achieve interoperability among communications equipment made by different manufacturers for vehicles and roadway infrastructure. Release 1 of the C-ITS standards was completed in early 2014, and it covers base standards for ITS-G5 radio (also named wireless access in vehicular environment, or WAVE, in the United States), ad hoc networking and transport with GeoNetworking and Basic Transport Protocol (BTP), the facilities layer such as messaging protocols CAM and DENM, security, privacy and requirements for applications, among others. The first article, "Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems Standards in Europe" by A. Festag, provides a comprehensive overview of release 1 of the C-ITS standards in Europe. The article first gives a brief overview of the C-ITS core standards set and compares it with the U.S. dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) standards in IEEE 1609 and SAE J2735. The author then provides more detailed overviews of the Release 1 C-ITS standards covering the access layer, the networking and transport layers, the facilities layer, and applications, security, and management in the subsequent sections of the article. The article concludes with a brief outlook on the expected C-ITS corridor pilots in Europe starting in 2015, as well- as future standardization directions.