BMW Group Announces the First Integration of EnLighten App

Traffic City Info Makes Driving in Cities Easier than Ever

Woodcliff Lake, NJ -- July 29, 2015: The BMW Group announced Monday that it is the first manufacturer to bring the EnLighten App, by Connected Signals, into the car. Drivers of BMW Vehicles with iOS Devices will be able to see traffic signal data on the vehicle’s display in real time. The EnLighten app makes driving in cities easier by helping the driver anticipate traffic signal changes, which can increase safety and help save fuel by avoiding unnecessary acceleration.

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. Based on the current vehicle position, as well as its speed, the EnLighten app offers a recommendation about whether or not to stop for the traffic light or proceed through. An audio alert notifies the driver about a pending change in the signal they are approaching.

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.

In order for the EnLighten app to work it requires a city to have an integrated network of smart traffic signals. Supported cities currently are Portland and Eugene, OR and Salt Lake City, UT offering more than 2000 traffic lights. More cities will follow.

The EnLighten app integration will work in any BMW equipped with the BMW Apps option with the app running on a connected Apple iPhone.

Beginning today, when the EnLighten App is downloaded from the Apple AppStore, it will be compatible with any BMW equipped with the BMW Apps option.

Information about Connected Signals can be found at Connected Signals.

Smartphones and apps in your car. With the aim of enabling safe and comfortable use of apps in cars, the BMW Group was an early driver of smartphone integration and has already certified numerous apps for access in BMW vehicles. These apps have been optimized for use during a journey, can be operated via the iDrive Controller without distracting the driver and are viewed in the Control Display respectively.

App integration. This app has been specially certified by the BMW Group for safe in-car use. The app uses the BMW Group’s A4A (Apps for Automotive) technology and can be downloaded for iOS- based devices from the Apple App Store. Having connected their smartphone to the car via the USB socket or snap-in adapter and launched the app, users are presented with its various functions via the iDrive Controller, the Control Display and the car’s audio system. To use the app in BMW models, the BMW ConnectedDrive Services option needs to be specified.