A consortium comprising Nissan, Connected Places Catapult, Humanising Autonomy, SBD Automotive, and TRL has successfully completed the EvolvAD project, a 21-month initiative aimed at bolstering the UK supply chain’s readiness for the mass deployment of autonomous driving (AD) technologies.
The EvolvAD project, co-funded by the UK government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility fund, administered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and delivered by Innovate UK, involved rigorous testing of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) equipped with cutting-edge AD technology. Testing encompassed simulations, private test tracks, and real-world scenarios on urban residential and rural roads, marking what the consortium describes as “the most rigorous test” of AD technology in the UK to date.
A key aspect of EvolvAD was the utilization of existing infrastructure, such as CCTV, to enhance CAV situational awareness through vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. This initiative contributed to the development of novel V2I technologies and provided valuable insights into how infrastructure can augment AD performance.
EvolvAD builds upon Nissan’s previous UK-based AD projects, HumanDrive and ServCity, collectively accumulating over 16,000 autonomous miles across diverse driving environments with zero accidents.
David Moss, Senior Vice President, Region Research & Development, Nissan AMIEO, emphasized the project’s success in advancing AD technology and its potential to enhance road safety and accessibility. “Our talented UK team at Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Cranfield will continue developing this technology, and we’re excited to bring AD mobility services to customers in the coming years,” stated Moss.
The project’s successful conclusion paves the way for the next phase, focusing on assessing the readiness of UK cities and regions for AD system and service integration. Nissan is also pursuing global AD research in Japan and the US, including the “Easy Ride” Serena AD vehicle testing in Yokohama, with the goal of launching autonomous mobility services.
Robert Bateman, EvolvAD Project Manager and Manager of Nissan’s Research and Advanced Engineering team, NTCE, highlighted the shift towards understanding the UK’s infrastructure and regulatory requirements for AD deployment.
Sarah Jones MP, Minister for Industry, acknowledged the project’s contribution to advancing the UK’s automotive sector and the government’s commitment to supporting industry growth and innovation.
