Driverless vehicle test site nears completion
WORLD-LEADING FACILITY BEING CONSTRUCTED NEAR HINCKLEY
A £100 million complex for testing driverless cars is almost ready to open.
The autonomous vehicle development centre – Assured CAV – is said to be the only one of its kind, allowing cars, trucks, buses and bikes of the future to be put through their paces in the sorts of real-life scenarios they would encounter on the open road.
The 1.2 million sq ft facility has been built on an 83-acre site at Horiba Mira test centre on the A5 near Hinckley.
It could eventually lead to 2,000 jobs being created.
It will also be used to provide evidence and data to influence legislation, policy and insurance for when driverless cars and cars that communicate with one another become an everyday sight.
The Mira site has been leading the way in helping car manufacturers develop computer-controlled vehicles.
The test track and linked facilities will be open in March.
Declan Allen, managing director at Horiba Mira, said: “Assured CAV represents many years of intense research and investment.
“At a time when the automotive industry is facing significant headwinds, we’ve been steadfast in our approach to delivering this investment.
“This is a unique opportunity for companies to accelerate their activities to lead the industry.
“It will allow companies to bring forward their activities in this sector in an efficient and optimised manner, enabling them to solve the real-world problems of integrating their automated products into the public roads, while also, importantly, achieving consumer acceptance.”
Bosworth MP Dr Luke Evans visited the complex recently.
He said: “I’m incredibly proud that Horiba Mira is here in Bosworth and I was privileged to see the work taking place at the centre.
“Assured CAV is a major investment in our economy and is great news for jobs and our place at the heart of hightech automotive research and development, not just for the benefit of Britain but placing us at the edge of technology globally.
“My sincere congratulations go to the whole team at Horiba Mira as they strive to make the technology of connected and autonomous vehicles an indispensable part of all of our daily lives.”