World's pioneering production-ready V2X toll collection system unveiled by North Carolina Turnpike Authority

The North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) and Kapsch TrafficCom are set to revolutionize toll collection on the Triangle Expressway (NC-540) near Raleigh with a production-level tolling system based on V2X technology. This partnership, announced earlier this year, marks a significant step towards vehicle-native payments and standards-based connectivity.

The summit, running from 3-4 September at the Raleigh Convention Center, will see the Road Pricing Summit, an independent annual forum for tolling and road pricing professionals across the USA, offer a comprehensive agenda, high-level speakers, and exclusive networking opportunities.

The NCTA and its partners, including Volvo Car USA, Mastercard, Microsoft, Red Hat, and Cognizant, will brief attendees on the in-vehicle payment pilot at the NC Transportation Summit in Raleigh on 4 September 2025. This pilot aims to merge data from roadside legacy tolling with connected-vehicle messages into a single, billable transaction.

The project simplifies the customer experience by integrating toll payment into the dashboard, making paying a toll "as simple as any other point-of-sale transaction," according to JJ Eden, NCTA executive director. The phased rollout will start with roadside unit installation and testing with onboard-equipped vehicles. Up to 200 participants are expected to join the late-2025 trial across NCTA toll roads.

Kapsch TrafficCom, who delivered the first multi-protocol tolling facility in the USA, is excited about this collaboration, which builds on work dating back to 2017 to modernize the Triangle Expressway's electronic tolling. JB Kendrick, Kapsch TrafficCom North America president, states, "We're building a true platform for the future."

The in-vehicle payment pilot also has the potential to reduce leakage and underpin wider safety and efficiency features as connected cars become standard. This initiative signals a shift towards vehicle-native payments and standards-based connectivity that could scale beyond state lines as CV penetration rises.

Moreover, the approach is linked to the US Highway Trust Fund's long-term gap, citing a projected US$280bn shortfall by 2035. This new tolling system could provide a sustainable funding solution for the future of transportation infrastructure.

A new section of the Triangle Expressway is opening to traffic in late 2024, setting the stage for this innovative tolling system. The Kapsch-NCTA collaboration could pave the way for a seamless, efficient, and modern tolling experience for drivers across the USA.

World's pioneering production-ready V2X toll collection system unveiled by North Carolina Turnpike Authority