Cloud-powered connected vehicle networks: Enabling smart mobility

Urban mobility systems in 2018 are experiencing unprecedented challenges. Increasing vehicle density, rising emissions, and persistent traffic congestion demand smarter infrastructure and connected services. Connected Vehicle Networks (CVNs) have emerged as a promising solution, where vehicles exchange information with other vehicles (V2V), infrastructure (V2I), pedestrians (V2P), and the cloud (V2C) to enable cooperative safety and efficiency applications. However, realizing large-scale connected mobility requires scalable computational infrastructure. Traditional roadside units (RSUs) and embedded systems are constrained by limited compute and storage resources, making them inadequate for latency-sensitive, data-intensive applications such as collision avoidance and traffic flow optimization.

This paper proposes a cloud-powered connected vehicle framework that integrates vehicular networks with cloud computing platforms, supported by mobile edge computing (MEC) gateways for latency-sensitive tasks. The architecture offloads computation-intensive applications—such as traffic prediction, platoon management, and cooperative sensing—to the cloud, while ensuring real-time responsiveness through edge nodes positioned at RSUs and cellular base stations.

The contributions of this paper are fourfold

·        We present a layered Cloud-Powered Connected Vehicle Architecture that balances scalability with latency control.

·        We analyze the trade-offs between Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) and Cellular V2X (LTE-V2X) technologies as of 2018.

·        We validate the framework through simulation-based case studies using SUMO and Monnet++ to evaluate traffic efficiency and latency.

·        We discuss security, privacy, and deployment challenges in the 2018 context, including spectrum allocation debates and early 5G trial considerations.

Results demonstrate that cloud-assisted orchestration improves intersection throughput by up to 22% and reduces average end-to-end latency by 35% compared to edge-only approaches. These findings provide a foundation for scalable, cloud-integrated connected mobility, aligning with global smart city initiatives in North America, Europe, and Asia.