The University of Warwick is set to host Europe’s first multi-million-pound Smart City Mobility Centre; a new facility for driverless capable vehicles that will plan for “transport systems of the future”.
The Wellesbourne-based project will steer the development of driverless mobility and electric vehicle technology, with hopes of making congestion, traffic accidents and omissions a thing of the past.
The University will work alongside Jaguar Land Rover engineers and WMG researchers to design and engineer connected, driverless capable, prototype electric modular architectures which will then be tested in real world conditions around their campus in Coventry and Warwickshire. An innovative communications network will also bring 5G connectivity to the region - critical for new mobility solutions and services that will transform customer experiences in the future.
The new centre has the potential of bringing significant economic benefits to the lives of many people via a safer, less congested and more environmentally sustainable mode of transport. WMG Chairman Professor Lord Bhattacharyya said: “This is the first time in any country that such a comprehensive system is being designed and tested”.
The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) will also work closely with the Smart City Mobility Centre to utilize their battery technology expertise, whilst the UK Mobility Data Institute will collect, process and analyse transport data generated by new mobility technologies.
Prof Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We look forward to this industry-leading project, which will develop future prototypes that put the UK at the forefront of automotive technology.”