£20 million fund to develop driverless vehicles in the UK
News
22 Jul 2015
The government has announced a £20 million fund, to be matched by industry, to enable research and development into driverless vehicles.
The new measures were announced by Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Transport Minister Andrew Jones and aim to put the UK at the forefront of the intelligent mobility market.
A new code of practice for testing will also be introduced, including the framework they need to safely trial cars in real life scenarios.
Sajid Javid said: “To boost productivity Britain will need to capitalise on new technologies like driverless vehicles, securing high skilled jobs for those who want to work hard and get on, and contributing to a more prosperous future for the whole of the country.
“Our world beating automotive industry, strengths in innovation and light touch regulatory approach to testing driverless technology combine to make the UK market competitive and an attractive destination for investors.”
Andrew Jones said: “Driverless cars will bring great benefits to our society and economy and I want the UK to lead the way in developing this exciting technology. Our code of practice clearly shows that the UK is in the best position when it comes to testing driverless cars and embracing the motoring of the future. We now look forward to working with industry to make this a reality.”
