The NC Transportation Center of Excellence on Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Technology (NC-CAV) was initially funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation in 2020. The NC-CAV Center brings together a strong and diverse team of researchers from North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT), North Carolina State University (NCSU), and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) with the goal of

....establishing a multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in “Advanced Transportation Technologies” to investigate the adoption, utilization, and deployment of CAVs and their impacts on the transportation system in North Carolina and the nation.  

The center incorporates three interwoven research thrusts that will progress synergistically: 

• • Thrust 1 (CAV Impacts ) investigates the impact of Connected and Autonomous Vehicle’s (CAV) on North Carolina's transportation system and associated revenue.

  • Thrust 2 (CAV Infrastructure) assesses North Carolina’s readiness for CAVs in traditional and emerging transportation infrastructure.

  • Thrust 3 (CAV Infrastructure) explores emerging applications of CAVs, and will develop and deploy CAVs and Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) for advancing transportation systems.

North Carolina’s fast-growing population, particularly in its urban areas, requires a transportation system with increased efficiency and higher capacity. The good news is that CAVs will soon be deployed on public roads, transforming the transportation technologies in a new era of connectivity, accessibility, and flexibility. Therefore, we must proactively predict the impacts of CAVs, their needs, and projected application domains to take full advantage of their deployment in the state. The research efforts in the proposed NC-CAV Center will lead to practical and usable products and solutions for CAV’s public stakeholders and provide guidance for further deployment of CAVs into the transportation system.

NC-CAV as a multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in “Advanced Transportation Technologies” aims to:

(1) investigate the adoption, utilization, and deployment of CAVs and their impacts on the transportation system in North Carolina and the nation, 

(2) serve as a regional and national resource in research and education on CAV technology,  

(3) provide outreach services in transportation-related areas, 

(4) facilitate linkage among transportation-related research institutes and centers across North Carolina for researching CAV technology,

(5) commercialize NC-CAV technology developments for the benefit of North Carolina and the national economy.

NC-CAV serves as a recognized regional and national leader in researching and developing CAV technology and its applications and impacts on the transportation system and the associated revenue in North Carolina and the nation. NC-CAV develops roadmaps and strategic long-term plans, and prototypes CAV applications in order to proactively plan for the future development of advanced transportation technologies and the required infrastructure to utilize and deploy CAVs in a mixed transportation system including CAVs, UAVs, and human-driven vehicles.