Three Stoke-on-Trent companies have received Government funding and will lead a project to explore the potential of rolling out autonomous vehicles (AVs) across the UK.
Aim Technologies, EVIE Autonomous and Cavonix, all based on the Riverside business park in Stoke, will work together to understand the needs of customers, design a modular autonomous vehicle platform and develop a business case for bringing the technology to market.
The MAEVe feasibility study is part of plans to help grow the UK’s £3.7 billion Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) industry.
It is one of 14 projects to have been awarded funding and support from the UK Government and industry through the Connected and Automated Mobility CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies (FS) Competition, delivered by Innovate UK and Zenzic.
The Government announced in its Modern Industrial Strategy that it sees a thriving CAM ecosystem as being key to driving innovation and helping create a £40 billion CAM sector and over 6,500 jobs in the industry by 2040.
Speaking about the role an AV modular system would play in helping achieve this, Steven Lake, Founder and CEO at Aim Technologies, said: “An essential ingredient for the commercial success of CAM within the UK is affordability.
“Our completely vehicle and drive-train agnostic modular approach, both on the vehicle platform and Autonomous Driving System (ADS), enables a highly scalable solution to achieve volume pricing and affordability”.
Mark Cracknell, Programme Director at Zenzic, said: “We are thrilled to announce the MAEVe project, spearheaded by Aim Technologies, EVIE Autonomous and Cavonix, as one of the 14 exciting CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies taking place across the UK.
“The deployment of Connected and Automated Mobility solutions holds incredible promise – enhancing accessibility, reducing emissions, and fostering a transport network that is both reliable and inclusive. The MAEVe project will serve as a pivotal example in showcasing those benefits.
“We are looking forward to working with the project consortia as they further develop their business case, demonstrate the commercial readiness of the service, and provide vital insight into the opportunities presented by the deployment of CAM solutions in regions throughout the UK.”
It has not been revealed how much funding has been received by the companies.
