With the world fast adopting autonomous driving technology, the UK makes a significant stride with the launch of evolvAD, a robust research project backed by Nissan and funded by the UK Government. The initiative, now officially underway, aims to augment the UK’s autonomous driving capability and provide vital technical support to supply chains preparing for the mass adoption of this revolutionary technology.
The evolvAD project seeks to thoroughly test Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) across a wide array of urban residential and complex rural terrains.
This initiative is the result of a collaboration among five industry partners, with Nissan leading the technical charge. The financial scaffolding of evolvAD is joint, drawing from both the consortium partners and the UK government through the £100m Intelligent Mobility fund, overseen by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and managed by Innovate UK, the nation’s forefront agency in innovation.
Over a 21-month timeline, the project will leverage the collective expertise of the consortium partners – Nissan, Connected Places Catapult, Humanising Autonomy, SBD Automotive, and TRL, aiming to enhance the readiness of the UK’s supply chain for the impending large-scale deployment of AD technologies.
One of the remarkable facets of evolvAD is its approach to utilizing existing infrastructure, like CCTV in residential areas. Through Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) technologies, the CAVs in the project will achieve heightened situational awareness, establishing a foundational study on how V2I technologies can bolster the performance of CAVs.
As the project advances, 100% electric Nissan LEAFs have been earmarked as the test vehicles. These vehicles will undergo rigorous testing phases including simulations, private test tracks, and eventually live road assessments in the following months.
By diving into this strategic endeavor, Nissan aspires for a substantial enhancement in its autonomous driving technology, building on insights garnered from previous consortium AD research projects like HumanDrive and ServCity. This initiative aligns impeccably with Nissan’s Ambition 2030, a long-term blueprint underscoring the firm’s aspiration for a safer, cleaner, and more inclusive world.
David Moss, Senior Vice President, Region Research & Development for Nissan AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe, and Oceania) expressed the brand’s enthusiasm in participating in the evolvAD project, reiterating their commitment to advancing autonomous driving technologies as a vital solution for elevating vehicle safety, environmental conservation, and accessibility.
Robert Bateman, the evolvAD Project Manager and Manager of Nissan’s Research and Advanced Engineering team at Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE), underscored the necessity of testing the technology across diverse road types to expedite the commercial advent of autonomous driving.
Echoing supportive sentiment, Minister for Industry and Economic Security, Nusrat Ghani, accentuated the transformative potential of self-driving vehicles in enhancing transportation, making journeys safer, cleaner, and more accessible while fostering economic vitality through the creation of highly skilled jobs. The evolvAD project propels the UK into a vanguard position in advancing automated technology with an unwavering focus on safety, heralding a promising era of autonomous mobility.
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