Consumer interest in driverless cars has rapidly accelerated over the past few years – and this has led to the increased development of the technology as well as incoming government legislation. With automated vehicles soon to be reality, Shauna Higgins, Vice President of Engineering & Green Economy, IDA Ireland, explores how the landscape is evolving and how the industry can ensure that automated vehicles live up to their potential, addressing the possible future trends, concerns, and realities
Autonomous driving is no longer the thing of sci-fi films – it is shortly becoming a reality. The interest surrounding driverless cars has soared due to partnerships with carmakers and tech titans envisaging the opportunities and benefits self-driving vehicles can bring. The opportunity to save countless lives is the major one – as human error, in its various forms, contributes to 90% of road accidents but the potential use-cases are vast, including giving increased mobility to those with disabilities and the elderly.
One area of contention surrounding these vehicles is the issue of responsibility. If driverless vehicles reduce human error, who is responsible for an incident that might happen? The UK government has recently set the groundwork for this exact situation, with recent changes to the Highway Code accommodating self-driving vehicles with a full regulatory framework to be announced in 2025. Of note, the driver relinquishes liability as soon as the automated driving system is activated, a significant change for insurance companies.
Germany is similarly developing its Automated Vehicles (AVs) regulation and has adopted legislation that will allow companies to deploy robo-taxis and driverless delivery services on public roads in 2022. France has taken this a step further and in November 2021, it became Europe’s country to have vehicles authorised to operate “fully autonomously on a public road”. With so much movement in the industry, what does the future landscape look like?
Solving the driverless vehicle puzzle
The popular demand and the AV regulations has injected businesses with a newfound purpose for this technological innovation. Google-backed Waymo and Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) partnership is pivotal in producing the world’s first premium self-driving electric vehicle. Part of this success comes from partnerships with government-backed initiatives, such as the Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI). This initiative aims to provide the conditions for start-ups, SMEs, MNCs and researchers to collaboratively trial, test and innovate solutions for systems and technologies in a “laboratory with real-life conditions”. JLR’s success has been reliant on its partnership with the FMCI as well as global software, mobility and telecoms companies to create a smart city ‘hub’ to test its autonomous systems in Shannon.
Furthermore, Lero, a national AV research programme works in partnership with research centres, as well as SMEs and multinational firms and links scientists and engineers across academia and industry to address crucial research questions, foster the development of new and existing Ireland-based technology companies, and expand educational and career opportunities in science and engineering.
As a result of these advancements, an increasing number of companies are choosing Ireland for their AV technology development. In April 2022 Valeo, the French global automotive supplier, reached a huge milestone in producing its hundred millionth automotive nearfield camera at its Tuam site in Ireland. “From a small, innovative and dynamic company, capable of being the leading camera supplier to automakers in Europe in the early 2000s, the Tuam site has transformed into a global giant in the field of vehicle vision,” said Marc Vrecko, President of Valeo’s Comfort and Driving Assistance Systems Business Group.
Ireland is quietly becoming a key hotspot for AV technology and vehicle testing – it is now home to some of the worlds most highly trained research talent in Fintech, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Engineering and Industrial technology. The talent pool is highly engaged, which enables specialist teams to scale fast. In fact, Indeed’s 2020 State of European Tech report found that Ireland shows both high demand for, and supply in, tech roles.
Ireland’s climate is also ideal for the development of autonomous vehicles. Unlike dry and straight roads, the West of Ireland’s challenging driving conditions are optimal for testing the toughest real-world environments.
What’s more, General Motors has elected Ireland as one of its key centres. GM Ireland produces upcoming technologies in autonomous, ridesharing, and safer driving solutions. GM aims to drive the future of personal mobility through the convergence of electrification, autonomous vehicles, connectivity, and shared mobility services. In these ways, international companies are pioneering the use of autonomous vehicles in Ireland.
The winding road ahead
Whilst the latest McKinsey reports that the era of AV is fast approaching, there remains blurry and uncertain question marks. For instance, when it comes to the robo-taxis vs traditional cars debate, will this disrupt the current consumer appetite for domestic cars for the better or for the worse? Will car sharing and robo-taxis become the future where a person can easily utilise this transportation only when necessary? For many, this seems to be the most fuel efficient and cost-effective mode of transport. But how will this impact the regular vehicle industry?
When it comes to cyber security, the reliance of AVs on technology makes cyber threats ever more enticing. What’s more, in the UK and across Europe, the issue of liability continues to be a struggle for regulators at each level of AVs. The impact this will have on insurance companies cannot be understated.
And finally, the challenge of building trust and gaining legitimacy is perhaps one of the hardest barriers to overcome. Although people might accept AVs in the future, they might find it difficult to accept or believe now. These vehicles gaining legitimacy will take time, but uncovering what customers want from these technologies will enable these companies to manufacture driverless vehicles in a way that will benefit the majority.
While the full adoption of autonomous vehicles that will take decades, their safety, cost, climate impact, and convenience will make them ubiquitous and indispensable. It will be the companies that adapt the fastest and can plan ahead that will not only survive but will forever revolutionise the world we live in today.
