This week it has been announced that Birmingham’s NEC (National Exhibition Centre), which will host the ITS World Congress in 2027, is to host a self-driving shuttle trial – as part of the Solihull & Coventry Automated Links Evolution (SCALE) project.
Visitors to the NEC can now take advantage of the self-driving shuttle service which will be in operation during busy events as a collaborative initiative, aimed at better understanding the role self-driving vehicles might one day play within our future transport system.
The first phase of the route sees three shuttles built by New Zealand-based autonomous vehicle manufacturer Ohmio, linking the NEC’s BP Pulse Live Arena to the parking areas, was launched last week during an international trade delegation visit organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Zenzic.
The route will be extended in further phases to see the fleet of three electric self-driving shuttles carry passengers along a 7km route linking passengers from Birmingham International Rail Station to the NEC and Birmingham Business Park by the summer.
The trial service is now open for members of the public visiting upcoming major events at the NEC including the Commercial Vehicle Show. While the pilot is only planned to run until the end of June 2025, it could provide the template for further trials or even a full service that could operate during the ITS World Congress in 2027, the theme for which was recently confirmed as Connect Ideas. Transform Transport.
The project is being delivered by a consortium led by Solihull Council, including both WMG at the University of Warwick and Coventry University, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the NEC, Coventry City Council and automated vehicle simulation specialists IPG and dRISK.
“Connected Automated Mobility (CAM) technology has the potential to revolutionise the way we get around,” says Cllr Andy Mackiewicz, cabinet member for climate change and planning. “We are excited to be leading the way, not just in Solihull, but regionally and across the country, in providing learning on CAM deployments in different settings and scenarios.
“Taking place across one of the best-connected destinations in the UK and Europe, this new Solihull-based route will join up three key assets within the UK Central Hub area, operating in a busy but controlled environment and gaining further real-world operating experience.
“As part of our continuous learning, colleagues at TfWM will be conducting a series of passenger surveys to better understand attitudes around this technology and potential barriers. I’d encourage anyone who is interested in helping to shape the future of automated transport to check the next development dates and take a ride for themselves.”
The accessible fully electric shuttles being used have been built by New Zealand based autonomous vehicle manufacturer Ohmio, represented in the UK by Ohmio UK, and can carry up to 14 passengers. They use a sophisticated suite of cameras and sensors to understand their surroundings, allowing them to interact with live traffic and move around safely. In line with current legislation, the shuttles will have a human operator onboard, who will have the ability to take control if required. Each journey will also be tracked in real time from TfWM’s control centre on Summer Lane.
Funding for the multi-million-pound project has been provided by the Department for Transport’s Centre for Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV).
