Fleet World Workshop Tools
Car Tax Calculator
CO2 Calculator
Van Tax Calculator
BiK Rates Company Car Tax

Driverless cars projects awarded £20m

Announced by Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, Sajid Javid, the funds are being shared between eight projects to develop enhanced connections between vehicles and road infrastructure to pave the way for driverless vehicles.

The projects are the first to be funded from the Government’s £100m Intelligent Mobility Fund and include plans to develop autonomous shuttles to carry visually-impaired passengers using advanced sensors and control systems as well as new simulation trials for autonomous pods to increase uptake and improve real-world trials.

The new projects come as trials of driverless cars on the streets are currently being worked on in Bristol, Coventry and Milton Keynes, and Greenwich.

The Government said the latest funding would help strengthen the UK as a global centre for the fast-growing intelligent mobility market, estimated to be worth £900bn per year globally by 2025.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin added: “These projects will help profoundly change the way we travel within years, transforming our roads by making travel a simpler experience for drivers, reducing accidents and helping traffic flow more smoothly. They will also bring great benefits to our society and the wider economy by opening up new routes for global investment.

“This is a landmark moment and will allow Britain to lead the way in the testing of connected and autonomous vehicles.”

For more of the latest industry news, click here.

Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.