ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV) today joined industry leaders from a wide range of automotive and technology sectors for the grand opening of MCity, the University of Michigan's one-of-a-kind test site for connected and automated vehicles. MCity is a 32-acre simulated urban and suburban environment that features a network of roads with intersections, traffic signs and signals, streetlights, building facades, sidewalks and construction obstacles.

Operated by U-M's Mobility Transformation Center (MTC), the public-private research and development partnership aims to develop a commercially viable ecosystem of connected and automated driverless vehicles. A key goal of the MTC initiative and MCity is to implement a connected and automated mobility system on the streets of southeastern Michigan by 2021.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Navistar to leverage our leadership in connected vehicle technologies and collaborate with others in the industry to make connected transportation a reality," said Denny Mooney, Navistar group vice president, global product development. "The innovation of today's connected vehicle technologies will drive significant improvements in the way people, goods and services move throughout society—and we're proud to play an important role in this transformation."

Navistar has been leading the commercial truck industry in the connected vehicle space since its 2013 launch of OnCommand™ Connection—the commercial truck industry's first single remote diagnostics portal to use an open architecture system with trucking fleets' existing telematics providers. OnCommand Connection is currently tracking more than 130,000 trucks. In early July, Navistar demonstrated its commitment for connected vehicle technology by offering its OnCommand Connection remote diagnostics system as a standard offering on all new International^® trucks and IC Bus™ school buses.

"Connectivity offers the trucking industry the potential for transformational change in productivity and efficiency. And this is an area where Navistar truly is leading the industry," Mooney added. "Our open integration strategy for connected vehicle technology mirrors the approach we take by working with world-class, global component suppliers. We bring the best thinking from suppliers and new technology, wherever it was invented, and integrate it into our vehicles."

Navistar is a founding member of the Mobility Transformation Center's Leadership Circle and the only heavy-duty truck manufacturer participating in the initiative. Leadership Circle member companies include Honda, Ford, General Motors, Navistar, Qualcomm, State Farm, Toyota, Verizon and others. Together, these companies will join with government and academic partners to lay the foundations for a commercially viable system of connected and automated vehicles.