Abstract
Passengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.
This project will see Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus operator, extend the route of the existing CAVForth autonomous bus service, from Edinburgh Park station to Dunfermline city centre. The extended route capability will come from an upgraded version of the CAVStar® ADS (Automated Drive System) that will be developed by Fusion Processing Ltd during the project. CAVForth2 will also utilise an autonomous version of the new Enviro100AEV electric bus from Alexander Dennis.
The project is one of seven successful projects from around the UK, and forms the most advanced set of commercial, self-driving passenger and freight operations anywhere in the world.
The grants, part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Connected and Automated Mobility programme, will help British companies seize early opportunities to develop experimental projects into offerings ready for the market.
CAVForth II – Fusion Processing - £10.4 million to launch the world’s first operational, full-sized, self-driving bus service, in Edinburgh, with Stagecoach and Alexander Dennis.
Self-driving vehicles could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel, especially for those who don’t drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error. Forecasts predict that by 2035, 40% of new UK car sales will have self-driving capabilities, with a total market value for connected and automated mobility worth £41.7 billion to the UK. This could create nearly 40,000 skilled jobs in connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology.
£5.2 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £10.4 million. This project will allow Stagecoach to launch what is believed to be the world’s most complex full-sized automated bus service, running along a 14 mile route, and building on a pilot project that is nearing completion. This project will test and refine the commercial service model, from the current ‘Captained’ service, with a staff member onboard, to future deployments with smaller vehicles which could operate with no staff on board.
Project partners include: Stagecoach Group, Alexander Dennis Limited, University of the West of England, and Edinburgh Napier University.
