After three days of complex demonstrations featuring new modes of travel, collaboration between three global car manufacturers, innovative technological features, complex urban environments, and an International CAV Conference, a pioneering project to trial Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) has come to a grand conclusion.
The UK Autodrive project is the largest of three projects to have emerged from the UK government’s ‘Introducing Driverless Cars’ competition in 2015, playing a pivotal role in positioning the UK as a leader in the CAV space. The project has also helped support the UK government’s ambition to see driverless cars on the road by 2021 and make the UK a top destination for future investment and CAV research and development.
“The increasing automation of our cars is transforming the way we drive, and the government is providing the regulation and investment in order to prepare for the future. Automation could bring significant benefits to people right across the country and presents enormous economic opportunities for the UK, with the global market for CAV technologies expected to be worth over £900 million by 2035,” said Jesse Norman, Future of Mobility Minister.
Uk Autodrive is leading the way in developing and showcasing the latest technology, as well as investigating other important aspects of automated driving, such as safety and cyber-security, legal and insurance issues, public acceptance and customer interaction, and the potential business models for turning autonomous driving systems into a widespread reality.
In addition, the project has also delivered a number of papers and studies, including Public engagement / Feasibility studies; Legal and insurance; and Safety and security.
The partners in the UK Autodrive consortium are Arup, Milton Keynes Council, Coventry City Council, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford Motor Company, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, RDM Group, HORIBA-MIRA, Oxbotica, AXA, Gowling WLG, Thales, Transport Systems Catapult, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and the Open University.
