Consultancy KPMG International recently published their Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index (AVRI). The aim of the index is to rank 20 countries on their ability to develop and implement autonomous driving technology on their roads. Findings not only indicate which country has the best environment for implementing CAD, but it also gives insights on what conditions are favourable in deploying this technology.
The AVRI consists of 4 pillars: policy and legislation, technology and innovation, infrastructure and consumer acceptance. Within these pillars, 20 countries have been evaluated based on 26 different variables which adds up to a score for each pillar per country.
Results show us that the Netherlands are the most CAD friendly country in the world, followed by Singapore, the US, Sweden and the UK. All these countries have specific strengths when it comes to automated driving but overall the Netherlands ranked within the top 4 of each of the four pillars. On the other side, Brazil, Russia, Mexico and India are among the countries where it is more difficult to implement and develop this technology.
The report included a section tackling the question why policymakers need to focus on autonomous vehicles today. Different arguments in favour are listed, such as economic and social benefits (decrease by 90-95 percent of road fatalities, reduce pollution, improve citizens health, …).
Concerning conditions for success, the report states that there are five different reasons a country can become leader in the implementation and development of connected and automated driving technology. First, Governments need to be willing to regulate and support the autonomous vehicle development. Secondly road and mobile network need to be in an excellent state and there needs to be private-sector investment and innovation. Fourth, the development of CAD needs large-scale testing which is powered by a strong automotive industry presence. Finally, the report highlights the importance of a proactive government that attracts partnerships and manufacturers.
The report can be downloaded here.
Source: CAD Europe
