The ‘UK Autodrive’ consortium, featuring Midlands-based MIRA Ltd., has been announced as the winner of Innovate UK’s multi-million pound ‘Introducing Driverless Cars’ competition.
As a key partner in the consortium, MIRA – a world-leader in advanced vehicle engineering, research and product testing will contribute to integrating driverless cars into everyday life and position the UK as a global leader in driverless vehicles and autonomous systems technology.
The twin-city consortium will see research teams assess public reaction to autonomous vehicles in Milton Keynes and Coventry. It will also consider the implications and challenges of introducing driverless vehicles on UK roads and aim to establish the UK as global hub for the development and exploitation of autonomous vehicle technologies.
The three year project, worth £19.2m, will provide insights for vehicle manufacturers, cities, commercial operators, legislators and insurers to develop the legal framework for the roll-out of autonomous mobility.
The partners within the ‘UK Autodrive’ consortium are MIRA, Arup, Milton Keynes Council, Coventry Council, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford Motor Company, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, RDM Group, Thales (UK), Oxbotica, AXA, international law firm Wragge-Lawrence-Graham, the Transport Systems Catapult, the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and the Open University.
Chris Reeves, Commercial Manager for Future Transport Technologies and Intelligent Mobility at MIRA, said “We are delighted to be part of a consortium that will help position the UK as a global leader for the development of autonomous vehicle technologies.
“It will enable MIRA to build upon our world class expertise in driverless vehicle systems and help the UK deliver the social and economic benefits these technologies can bring.”
