Latest funding competition will see UK leading Europe
in the public testing of self-driving cars and could make
self-parking vehicles a reality.
-
Specialist UK technology and automotive businesses invited to
bid for £30m to help make self-parking cars a reality
-
Two new funding competitions will also create two permanent
self-driving test sites in the UK, the first of the kind in
Europe
-
Part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy aimed at
developing the transport system of the future
Companies are today invited to bid for £30 million of funding to
support the development of self-driving vehicles on UK roads,
Business Minister announced today.
Funded through the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
(CCAV) and
Meridian, the Government’s unique hub for testing autonomous
technology, the competitions see Government and industry jointly
investing in UK businesses to help realise the Government’s
ambition to see fully self-driving vehicles on UK roads by 2021.
The next round of the competition could answer drivers’ parking
woes since up to £5m will be awarded to projects developing and
testing autonomous parking technology. This technology will allow
self-driving cars to park in a range of different environments
without human intervention. The money will also fund two
public-testing sites for self-driving cars in urban settings, the
first of the kind in Europe, these sites will ensure that
connected and autonomous vehicles to become a normal feature on
UK roads. It is part of the modern Industrial Strategy’s Mobility
Grand Challenge to invest in and shape the design, development
and manufacture of the transport system of tomorrow.
Automotive Minister
experiences CAV technology
first-hand
Business Minister said:
Self-driving vehicles have the potential to revolutionise the
way we move people and goods across the UK. They also support
our ambition for a cleaner, greener future as part of our
modern Industrial Strategy. The UK is already leading the way
in developing this technology and today’s funding will bring
self-driving vehicles one step closer to becoming a normal
feature on UK roads and could, in time, make learning to
parallel park a thing of the past.
Today’s launch builds on the success of an earlier competition
round which saw four UK projects awarded a total of £51m to test
the speed, safety and potential opportunities for delivering
connected and autonomous (CAV) innovation.
Chair Automotive Council Technology, Graham Hoare said:
On behalf of the Automotive Council, I welcome the latest
developments at Meridian Mobility Technology, the
UK’s CAV Development
Capability. Meridian continues the acceleration of the
UKs CAV development
facilities with the announcement of important partnerships as
part of the latest outcomes of the TestBed program, Wave
2&3. These new capabilities will complement our
strengthening UK Test capability with the advantage of a ‘one
stop shop’ mind-set for the industry.
The UK’s Industrial Strategy is a long-term plan to build a
Britain fit for the future through a stronger, fairer economy.
Through this we will help businesses to create better,
higher-paying jobs - setting a path for Britain to lead in the
high-tech, highly-skilled industries of the future.
The Industrial Strategy names four Grand
Challenges to put us at the forefront of the industries
of the future. The challenges will direct the focus of Government
and engage the private sector, academics and civic society to
ensure we take advantage of major global trends, improving
people’s lives and the country’s productivity.
Notes to Editors -
Specific information about the two funding competitions, which
will be delivered by Innovate UK:
-
Meridian 2: £5m for one data exchange capability that will
provide a commercial marketplace for CAV data from
vehicles. The data will be accessible and shareable while
maintaining privacy and security. The asset will enable
technology developers, fleet operators and road network
owners to deliver better social, environmental, and
cost-effective transport systems and underpin new business
models.
-
Meridian 3: up to £25m to fund up to 6 infrastructure
projects to develop CAV testing
infrastructure for automated parking and interurban automated
driving on rural roads and highways:
- Interurban (controlled): up to £4 million to support one
controlled test environment project,
- Interurban (public): up to £16 million to support up to 2
continuous public test environment projects,
- Parking (controlled): up to £2 million to support one
controlled parking test facility project
- Parking (public): up to £3 million to support up to 2 public
parking test environment projects
