On-road UK self-driving experience: Ohmio LIFT in Milton Keynes, 25 Sep 2025
To celebrate Milton Keynes Tech Week, from 22 to 26 September, Ohmio was offering on-road public rides in our reigning Self-Driving Vehicle of the Year, the LIFT shuttle. So, of course, we had to go and try it!
We’ve tested it on private land a couple of times, first at the 2024 Advanced Engineering Show at the NEC, then at last year’s Self-Driving Industry Awards.
This was our first time out in the wild – on a 4-mile circular route from the Centre:MK shopping complex to the station and back – and it didn’t disappoint, as you can see in this video…
Self-driving acceleration
If you’re looking for a sign that UK self-driving is accelerating, this was our second on-road experience in a matter of weeks, following the Nissan evolvAD rural roads ride as part of Cenex Expo.
Utilitarian rather than luxurious, mainly travelling at about 15mph, the Ohmio LIFT handled all manner of everyday issues, from roadworks and leaf fall to pedestrians and taxis. Only once did it have to brake sharply, and that was nothing worse than you’d experience on the Docklands Light Railway.
Back in the Middleton Hall, we caught the end of a robotics competition, organised by Ohmio partner, Smart City Consultancy. All very impressive, and a reminder that self-driving will not happen in isolation – all kinds of exciting tech innovations will emerge concurrently.
By chance, we noticed that it was the centre clock’s 46th birthday, which prompted the thought: How many self-driving shuttles will be on-road in Milton Keynes by the time it turns 50 in summer 2029?
