Vehicle intelligence and the 21/sup st/ Century Truck Initiative: A new application for a new century

The role of vehicle intelligence in the 21/sup st/ Century Truck Initiative is discussed. The background and motivation is given, along with its goals: improving fuel efficiency, reducing emissions, increasing safety, and on the whole, reducing the cost of ownership of light, medium and heavy duty commercial and military trucks by 2010. Vehicle intelligence is defined in the context of its contribution toward achieving the overall goals of the initiative. Examples of notional vehicle intelligence services are provided, along with a discussion of the possible benefits. This sets the stage for anticipated future work. Finally, the development process envisioned for the Vehicle Intelligence Team of the 21/sup st/ Century Truck Initiative is briefly described.