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U-M has established the Michigan Mobility Transformation Center as a partnership with government and industry to dramatically improve the safety, sustainability and accessibility

A key focus of the MTC will be a "model deployment" that will allow researchers to test emerging concepts in connected and automated vehicles and vehicle systems in both off-road and on-road settings.

"This project has made the Ann Arbor community a unique, real-time, on-road test bed for exploring the potential of connected vehicles and vehicle systems," Sweatman said. "A number of industry participants are making use of this resource to explore the potential for their businesses as well."

After the first autonomous cars appear in North America in 2025, IHS forecasts they could account for 5 percent of the vehicles on North American roads by as early as 2035.

U.S. and Canadian sales of fully autonomous vehicles will be around 100,000 units shortly after their 2025 debut there,

But North American volume will quickly climb to 3.5 million by 2035, or about 18 percent of annual sales that year

Nokia Oyj plans to spend $100 million backing companies that develop intelligent-car technologies, joining the likes of billionaire Elon Musk and Google Inc. in betting that future vehicles will be smarter and more connected.

Carmakers are introducing smarter dashboard navigation systems, adding features such as real-time traffic information and automated calls to emergency services in case of accident.

Toyota Motor Corp. said in October it will introduce systems in about two years that will enable cars to communicate with each other to avoid collisions.

Electric Automotive America wants to put in-home wireless networks on wheels with FLEXConnect, an information and entertainment audio-video bridging system.

The system includes 10-inch, 720-pixel screens for the front and rear passengers as well as a tablet remote control system. Passengers can share media including videos, games and photos from screen to screen. FLEXConnect is linked to the vehicle’s Ethernet network and supports Wi-Fi connectivity for multiple devices.

The front passenger can control content on the rear screens. Rear passengers can also be monitored from the front seat via cameras installed above each rear seat screen.

the new belt assurance system will be offered as an optional feature in select 2015 models, including the GMC Sierra and the Chevrolet Cruze, Colorado and Silverado. GM does not plan to charge extra for this feature.

the company would like buyers who opt for the belt assurance system to provide feedback to help improve the technology before it becomes standard

GM’s new belt assurance system does not use an interlock ignition, Ecclestone said. The new system taps into the sensing and diagnostic module used to detect passenger weights and turn airbags on and off. To apply it to seat belts, the SDM detects front seat passengers, and communicates with the brakes and transmission to prevent the driver from shifting the vehicle into gear before both front passengers are buckled up.

At its recent developer conference, Google launched its Android Auto system

Android Auto allows drivers to access navigation, music and communications through voice commands and steering wheel controls.

Google has partnered with roughly 30 automotive manufacturers to bring the system to market, relieving carmakers of development costs associated with creating their own infotainment system back-ends. Apple's CarPlay system, meanwhile, will be available in many carmakers' 2015 models, among them Hyundai, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz.