It is widely believed that for connected cars to realise their true benefits, the world around them must also become connected. However, one project has found that the connected car itself can function as a roaming sensor, feeding data back to the city and working with a lean network of connected infrastructure.

The CLASS project is one of many research activities funded by the European Commission to investigate how connected, autonomous, shared and electric (CASE) technologies may be put into practice within urban areas. The Italian city of Modena is perhaps an unexpected test bed, but local authorities have proven ready and willing to see how connected cars might benefit its streets.

The project is based in a section of the city code-named MASA (Modena Automotive Smart Area), which…