This is the fourth in a series of thought leadership white papers about autonomous vehicles produced by Gowling WLG on behalf of UK Autodrive.

Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) have the potential to transform the way we use roads and the way planning, design and operation of road infrastructure will need to change is uncertain. This report focuses on some of the changes we may notice in the coming years and how these may impact the way we travel and whom we travel with. It will also discuss how we are planning for a future of unknowns.

CAVs are now widely acknowledged as one of the two most crucial evolutionary steps in road transportation, and all of the major vehicle manufacturers are now moving them from the whiteboard to the production line. Electrification is the other major evolutionary phase, and both require significant infrastructure support. The key concern today is to ensure that the infrastructure permits EVs and CAVs to perform to their true potential.

The UK and Europe have the opportunity to lead the transition to a truly connected and multimodal transportation system and CAVs have the potential to play a large role in that system, but they must be able to operate in a manner that allows for optimised traffic flows. Simply adding autonomous but unconnected vehicles onto our roads could in fact be counter-productive as AVs replace journeys previously taken on shared public transport and AVs behave in an ultra-cautious manner slowing down traffic flows. AVs must be connected in order to reap the networked benefits and form part of a multi-modal transport system.

Download the white paper to explore:

  • Infrastructure challenges;
  • Approaches to mobility; and
  • Regulatory frameworks.