Work starts on autonomous car route acrossWest Midlands
WORK to create a testbed for selfdriving autonomous cars has begun in the West Midlands.
The 200-mile ‘Midlands Future Mobility’ network spanning Coventry to Birmingham will see autonomous cars tested on urban, rural and highway roads.
The first cars trialled will be connected so they can ‘talk’ to each other and warn of traffic, crashes and other hazards.
Initially the vehicles will not be driving themselves. They will have a driver and passenger monitoring how the vehicles are working.
However, in the future fully autonomous vehicles will be trialled as more advanced ‘driver assistance’ systems are tested.
The route uses existing road infrastructure most of the time but includes new infrastructure such as smart CCTV, weather stations, communications units and highly accurate GPS.
Phase one includes the University of Warwick, Coventry ring road, roads in Meriden, Solihull and central Birmingham around the Jewellery Quarter.
Later this year it will be extended to include rural and highway roads and span up to 350km.
The autonomous vehicle industry is estimated to be worth up to £62 billion to the UK economy by 2030.
The West Midlands is hoping to lead the way and the project is run by a consortium of companies including
WMG, MIRA, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), Costain, Amey, Wireless Infrastructure Group, Vodafone, Coventry University and Highways England.
Project consortium member Costain and contractor Siemens Mobility have now begun work to install equipment on the route, which will open for trials later this year.
John Fox, project director, Midlands Future Mobility, said: “It’s great to see that work has begun in making roads a more connected place, where drivers can make their journeys more safely and where goods can be delivered more efficiently.
“The West Midlands has a rich history of the automotive industry, and to see it is now progressing into
Autonomous vehicles momentous.”
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “Connected and autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to radically change our lives, and I am pleased the West Midland is leading the way.
“I am determined our region will become a global leader in electric and autonomous vehicle technology, as I know we have the skills, facilities, and drive to compete with any other city or region in the world.
“Seeing our roads being used as a test bed for this new technology is a step forward, and this research will help pave the way to bring key investment and jobs as we look to bounce back from the Covid-19 crisis.”
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