Shortlisted for a 2025 Self-Driving Industry Award, V2X experts Beam Connectivity have announced a free webinar to unpack one of the most significant recent pieces of European legislation, the EU Data Act.
Starting at 11am (UK-time) on Wednesday 22 October, CTO Rob Potter, and Dr. Richard Oxland, Director of Secure Connected Vehicle, will cover the UK’s position, the new consent requirements, key cybersecurity considerations, and some exciting opportunities for data monetisation.
“The shift from OEM as gatekeeper to user in control is already underway,” said Oxland. “The EU Data Act isn’t just about compliance, urgent as that is, it’s about unlocking value through secure, interoperable data access.”
Beam Connectivity: UK and EU data regulation deadlines
The importance of the new Act is hard to overstate, with implications for everything from vehicle hardware and software to fleet management and aftermarket service provision.
EU Data Act – monetisation
There is undoubtedly a huge revenue opportunity in Extended Vehicle (ExVe) application programming interfaces (APIs).
Growth Market Reports recently predicted that the global ExVe API market, worth US$2billion in 2024, will more than treble to US$7billion by 2033.
However, in America, we’ve already seen legal action taken against VMs regarding alleged inappropriate selling of customer data.
If you own a device which is generating data, and might, with permission, like to charge for making it available, either B2B or B2C, the Beam webinar will provide practical insights and strategic clarity.
Detailing how compliance can be achieved by meeting the new ISO 20078 web standard, there might also be a sneak preview of some cutting-edge cloud-based services designed specifically for this purpose.
After the presentation, there’ll be a live Q&A, giving you the chance to put questions directly to the Beam team.
For further info and webinar registration, please click here
Beam Connectivity EU Data Act webinar, October 2025
On-road in Milton Keynes in our reigning Self-Driving Vehicle of the Year, the Ohmio LIFT shuttle
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!
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.
Robots on stage at Milton Keynes Tech Week, September 2025
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?
How many self-driving shuttles will be on-road in Milton Keynes by the time the clock turns 50?
2025 Self-Driving Industry Award partners: BEN, BSI, CCAV, Cenex Expo, ITS UK, PAVE UK, techUK and Zenzic.
With the entry deadline for the third annual Self-Driving Industry Awards fast approaching – extended to Friday 26 September – we thought it was high time we introduced you to this year’s amazing event partners. In alphabetical order, they are…
BEN, the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund. Here to support the lifeblood of the automotive industry – its people – Ben provides support for life to anyone who works or has worked in the automotive industry. Ben supports people to navigate life’s challenges, helping them make positive, lasting changes to their lives. It works with individuals and companies to improve people’s health and wellbeing. See ben.org.uk
BSI, the UK’s National Standards Body, supports industry through the development of guidance and best practice that helps accelerate the safe and secure development, trialling, testing and deployment of automated mobility. The BSI CAM series of standards has gained interest globally, attracting now over 10,000 downloads from 75 countries, and has informed the development of international standards. See BSI CAM Standards
The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) is a joint unit of the UK government’s Department for Transport (DfT) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT). Founded in 2015, its mission is to promote the safe development, production and use of connected and automated mobility technologies to deliver societal and economic benefits. CCAV uses its unique position to bring together world-class expertise from across the public, private and academic sectors to create a strong, collaborative UK ecosystem. See gov.uk
Cenex was established as the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell technologies in 2005. Today, it focuses on low emission transport and associated energy infrastructure, and operates as an independent, not-for-profit expert partner and research technology organisation (RTO). It also organises the annual Cenex Expo event, where the net zero and CAM communities come together to ask: “What’s next?”. Bringing together 200+ expert speakers, live demonstrations and government strategy, it drives collaboration, scale-up and innovation, making it the natural partner for The Self-Driving Industry Awards. See Cenex-expo.com
Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS UK) is the voice of the UK transport technology industry, supporting 190+ members, from the private and public sector, and covering all sizes and disciplines. It supports its members through advocacy to policy makers, connecting people, promoting the industry overseas and supporting innovation across the sector, including, increasingly, connected and automated mobility (CAM). See its-uk.org
Partners for Automated Vehicle Education United Kingdom (PAVE UK) is a national initiative founded by the DBT, DfT, CCAV, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), and WMG, the University of Warwick. It is the country’s first initiative focused on enabling public trust and acceptance of self-driving technology through accurate and inclusive public engagement and education programmes. See Pavecampaign.org/uk
techUK is the trade association which brings together people, companies and organisations to realise the positive outcomes of what digital technology can achieve. It creates a network for innovation and collaboration across business, government and stakeholders to provide a better future for people, society, the economy and the planet. In 2024, techUK set up the Self-Driving Vehicle Working Group (SDVWG) to drive progress towards the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles. See techuk.org
Zenzic was created by government and industry to champion the UK Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) ecosystem and lead the UK in accelerating the self-driving revolution, with the goal of ensuring a safer, more secure, sustainable, and inclusive transport future. Zenzic exists to make champions of others and place the UK at the heart of the global CAM ecosystem. By leveraging the power of innovation, through collaboration, Zenzic promotes and enables UK organisations to play an impactful role in the future of mobility. See Zenzic.io
Self-Driving Industry Award Partners 2025
A mighty impressive list, we’re sure you’ll agree, and we greatly appreciate their support in celebrating excellence in automated mobility, in the UK and internationally.
2025 Self-Driving Industry Awards Partners
Cars Of The Future self-driving event report: Cenex Expo 2025, 3-4 September at UTAC Millbrook
The day after the Cenex-Nissan evolvAD test ride, came the Expo itself, showcasing an array of groundbreaking net zero and self-driving innovations.
We must start, of course, with the news of additional multi-million-pound UK government backing for CAM Pathfinder. Following a welcome by Cenex chairman Dennis Hayter, the Rt Hon. Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), announced £36.5m in new funding to give “confidence and certainty for the next 10 years”.
Export success – “Made in the UK, sold to the world” – was the key message. Further details were provided during The CAM Opportunity panel, chaired by the SMMT’s David Wong and featuring David Skipp, of the Automotive Council, Simon Connick of CCAV, Mark Cracknell of Zenzic, and Prof. Siddartha Khastgir of PAVE UK.
UK Government message at Cenex 2025
Skipp described the UK as being in the leading group of CAM innovators, a little behind the US and China in terms of rollout, but still very much at the forefront of the race to scale. “Most companies that will become big in this probably already exist now,” he said. “We must leverage UK strengths to create an irresistible investment proposition.” For example, in cybersecurity.
Connick then highlighted CCAV’s Automated Passenger Service Consultation, and the UK’s role in developing international standards via the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, before handing over to Cracknell to outline the main facets of the refreshed CAM Pathfinder programme.
CAM Pathfinder
Designed to position the UK as a maker, not just a taker, of cutting-edge CAM technologies, the new money will be divided across four competitions:
CAM Pathfinder Mobilise to support ambitious early-stage businesses
CAM Pathfinder Demonstrate to support businesses to mature their technologies
CAM Pathfinder Enable to support representative trial projects
CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies to overcome barriers to further commitment
Details of upcoming CAM Pathfinder competition announced at Cenex 2025
After Khastgir set out PAVE UK’s recent educational work, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Cheltenham Festival of Science, a Q&A focussed on the role of insurers and vehicle manufacturers (VMs), particularly in promoting accurate messaging about self-driving.
“The UK is the only country that has this concept of misleading marketing,” noted Khastgir. “We should be very proud of that, especially as other countries, like China, are beginning to think in those terms.” It will require “understanding risk in a different way, a fundamental change,” added Cracknell.
Best ever UK self-driving vehicle line-up?
Seeing is believing, so what better way to illustrate the near commercial opportunities than with the most impressive line-up of self-driving vehicles we’ve seen at any UK event to date.
Sensational line-up of self-driving vehicles at Cenex 2025
In addition to the aforementioned Nissan evolvAD project car, and other self-driving-ready vehicles, such as the Karsan e-Jest minibus (in partnership with Adastec), there was a brand new Alexander Dennis Enviro100AEV bus fitted with the Fusion CAVStar automated driving system (ADS), a Bradshaw T800 electric autonomous tug (also with CAVStar), the V-CAL Project Terberg truck, driven by Oxa software, and the Aurrigo Auto-DollyTug from Teeside International Airport.
Plenty of food for thought for members of the new Airside Automation Group, established by Zenzic to unlock airport transformation.
“The group provides a vital platform for industry and innovators to come together, share learning, and accelerate the development of the next generation of connected and automated solutions,” said Andrew Cornish, Non-Executive Chair at Aurrigo.
On board the Enviro100AEV, Jim Hutchinson, CEO of Fusion Processing, and Jamie Wilson, Head of Advanced Engineering at Alexander Dennis, explained the benefits of No User In Charge (NUIC) operations, in freight, logistics and passenger transport.
The ‘small big bus’ has been developed as part of the Connector project, led by the Greater Cambridge Partnership and backed by Innovate UK and CCAV. “It is best in class, designed and built right here in the UK,” said Wilson.
“With projects such as the TfL depot trial and the AutonoBus track demonstrations, we are proving that NUIC technology can deliver meaningful safety, efficiency and operational benefits,” added Hutchinson. “These milestones move us closer to the day when autonomous buses can operate seamlessly in real-world environments.”
Back inside the main hall, other exhibitors with a keen interest in self-driving included Bosch, speed and distance measuring specialist, Datron, and advanced simulation solutions provider, KAN Engineering, plus multiple complementary products and services, notably the Tual chargers for fleets.
Start-up success
Across the show, there were encouraging tales of start-ups beginning to grow, launch new products and employ more people, from Oxford RF and About:Energy on the Innovate UK stand, to RAM and Altilium on the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) stand.
The final CAM seminar on the Wednesday, hosted by Innovate’s Richard Morris, featured James Dickie, of embedded systems specialist ETAS, followed by George Ye of UBIPOS, profiling their low-cost position, navigation, timing and sensing (PNTS) solution, and Dr Rimali Mitra on HD mapping for AVs using high-res aerial imagery.
Opening Day2, Lilian Greenwood MP, Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport (DfT), praised Cenex 2025 for delivering a world-class display of the very latest net zero and self-driving technology. It was indeed.
Shortly after making this speech, Greenwood was reshuffled to the Whip’s office. In her year at the DfT she was a champion for CAM, most memorably at the ITS Parliamentary Reception. We wish her every success.
It’s all very well self-driving on the wide sun-drenched boulevards of California, but can they do it on the twisty, unmarked, pothole-ridden lanes of Bedford? Nissan can.
Having covered the exciting UK development of Nissan’s automated driving (AD) technology over many years, from HumanDrive and ServCity, to the most recent evolvAD project, we finally got to experience it for ourselves… and it was amazing – a real-world demonstration of some seriously impressive self-driving capabilities. Check out this in-car video:
Held on 2 September 2025, the day before the main Cenex Expo event, the invite-only Cenex-Nissan evolvAD Showcase took place at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) facility at Cranfield in Bedfordshire.
Following a brief intro by Cenex CEO, Robert Evans, evolvAD project manager, Robert (Bob) Bateman, explained the key challenges and technologies involved, before joining a panel featuring project partners Tom Levermore, of Connected Places Catapult, and Luigi Bisbiglia, of SBD Automotive.
UK self-driving event: Cenex Nissan evolvAD Showcase, September 2025
We’ll delve deeper into the cutting-edge grip limit tech another time – the headline being that it is brilliant but currently quite expensive – but soon we were invited outside to enjoy a tour of the lovely local public roads – a route dubbed the “hachi-noji”, meaning figure of eight in Japanese.
We had a highly qualified safety driver behind the wheel if needed, and a Nissan trail car behind us to guard against rear-end shunts – completely understandable given the value of the computer kit in the boot, which we weren’t allowed to take pictures of!
Self-driving ride
Capsule review: It was mighty impressive, competent and effective. The car can actually go much faster, but the power has been dialled back to make the ride safer, more comfortable than exhilarating.
As someone used to sitting in the driver’s seat, being a passenger is something of a rarity in itself. Because the route is HD mapped to the nearest millimetre, the car knows exactly where the edge of the road is, and it uses every inch, whereas human drivers tend to drift towards the centre.
I was looking forward to it carrying speed into some S-bends, but a car came the other way, initially taking the middle of the road, so the Nissan wisely backed off. Safety first. All in all, excellent – a new personal benchmark for best self-driving experience to date.
Supported by CCAV, Innovate UK, Zenzic and TRL, the £3.5m evolveAD project has now been extended to develop, in Bateman’s words, “A 360-degree understanding of the infrastructure and regulatory needs, providing critical insights to policymakers and urban planners to ensure a successful introduction of AD mobility services in the right way and at the right time.”
And why did Nissan choose the UK for self-driving testing? If its tech can cope with the many varied challenges of the UK road network – speedhumps, mini-roundabouts, 60mph single carriageway lanes and all – it will be more than ready for Europe, and then the rest of the world.
Self-driving experts and exhibitors confirmed for Cenex Expo 2025, 3-4 September at UTAC Millbrook
With less than three weeks to go until the UK’s leading transport innovation event, Cenex Expo 2025, the full seminar programme has now been confirmed, including a steller line-up of self-driving experts and exhibitors.
Running across Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th September at the UTAC Millbrook testing facility in Bedfordshire, this year’s event sets out to explore “The technologies, strategies and legislation shaping the UK’s transition to Net Zero and Connected Automated Mobility (CAM)” – not just ideas, but solid plans for real-world change.
With big-name exhibitors including Alexander Dennis, Aurrigo, Bosch, Ford and Nissan, it promises to be as action-packed as last year.
Ministerial keynote
The curtain-raiser will be a keynote address by the Rt Hon. Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
Rt Hon. Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State at DESNZ and DBT, 2025
Supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), and Zenzic, debates and presentations in six theatres will provide insights into the breakthroughs and bottlenecks influencing policy, investment and innovation.
Noting that it is now ten years since the Paris Agreement on climate change, Robert Evans, CEO of Cenex, said: “This year’s event provides the first large scale industry event for the Net Zero and Connected Automated Mobility innovation community to meet following the launch of the UK’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector plan and the new Drive 35 programme for automotive innovation and manufacturing supply chain development.”
Drive 35 commits £2 billion in capital and R&D funding through to 2030, with an additional £500 million extending support to 2035. The programme aims to accelerate the development and commercial scale-up of strategic vehicle technologies, strengthening domestic supply chains and supporting a globally competitive battery sector.
Audience tuned into self-driving at Cenex 2024
Focus on self-driving
Specifically on self-driving, Evans continued: “Collaboration, as ever, will be the conduit to move from ideas to commercialisation. The AV Act paves the way for the UK market for CAM to flourish, but there are still details to be worked through regarding the secondary legislation needed to detail the authorisation of automated vehicles, operator licensing and in-use regulations.
“Driverless technologies have applications well beyond the road – in agriculture, defence, marine and more. The CAM supply chain gathering at Cenex Expo will be instrumental in shaping how these innovations are applied, scaled, and commercialised across multiple industries.”
Following last month’s boost for self-driving in the UK government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, we now have confirmation of 14 new feasibility studies set to receive multi-million-pound backing via the CAM Pathfinder programme.
While the Modern Industrial Strategy highlighted “The role of standards in self-driving vehicles”, namechecking BSI, Wayve, Oxa, Horiba Mira and WMG, the follow-up Sector Plan for Advanced Manufacturing promised to “Champion a commercial landscape fit for the future of connected and automated vehicles”.
To achieve this, the government has committed to “Increase funding to our CAM Pathfinder programme with a further £150 million extending it until 2030”.
Delivered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), supported by Zenzic and Innovate UK, Pathfinder’s mission is to investigate early commercial CAM opportunities and position the UK supply chain to fill technology gaps.
Self-driving public transport: TfL will new lead the new London Bus Depots project
The 14 winning projects are:
London Bus Depots, led by Transport for London, Fusion Processing, Metroline and Alexander Dennis
Autonomous Impact Protection Vehicle, led by Ringway with Colas, Fusion Processing, TRL and ACKLEA
CitiPod, led by Cambridge Electric Transport and Cambridgeshire County Council
eFREIGHT, led by Voltempo, Catapult and Berkeley Cars
GAMMA – Glasgow Automated Mobility Mass-Transit Accelerator, led by dg:cities, Admiral and ZF
ADASTRA Feasibility Study for Self-Driving Shuttles in Mobility Hubs, led by Suffolk County Council and Smart City Consultancy
Kirkwall Autolink – Outline Business Case for Autonomous, Zero-Emission Shuttle Service, led by Urban Foresight, Aurrigo, and The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS)
NAVIGATES – Networked AV Integration and Governance with Advanced Technology and Security, led by Angoka and Cenex
Runway to Autonomy – Removing NUIC Obstacles for Autonomous Baggage Handling Vehicles, led by International Airlines Group (IAG) and RDM Group
MAEVe – Modular Automated Electric Vehicle, led by aim technologies, EVIE and Cavonix
Unified Neutral Net-Radar, led by Radareye and EnSilica
Opt Tech 4 Auto & RC, led by Atera Analytics Ltd
Dora – Developing Objective and Quantifiable Risk Assessment for CAV, led by IDIADA and the University of Warwick’s Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG)
CAM4Events – Exploring Deployment of CAM Technologies and Services for Events, led by You Smart Thing Ltd, Transport for West Midlands, Syselek and AJW.
Self-driving winners
Getting the green light for so many diverse and ambitious projects is a huge win for CCAV and the whole UK CAM community.
“This announcement highlights the UK’s commitment to innovation and signals confidence in the industry’s future potential,” said Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK.
Self-driving expert Mark Cracknell, Programme Director at Zenzic
Specifically on self-driving, Mark Cracknell, Programme Director at Zenzic, said: “We are looking forward to working with the consortiums delivering each of the 14 projects over the coming weeks and months to further develop their businesses cases, demonstrate the commerciality of their solutions and provide vital insight into the opportunities presented by the UK becoming a global CAM pioneer.”
New Department for Transport research into emergency scenarios by 2024 Self-Driving Industry Award winner Dr Clare Mutzenich.
The pace of change in self-driving can be dizzying at times. It was only last November that Dr Clare Mutzenich picked up our 2024 Self-Driving Industry Award for Research, for her groundbreaking work on generational trust in AVs for Lacuna Agency.
Fast forward eight months and Lacuna, sadly, is no more, yet Mutzenich is busier than ever – launching a new company, hosting one of the best sessions at MOVE 2025, and conducting more essential research for the UK Department for Transport.
An incredibly detailed 106-page DfT report, published in June, explores multiple emergency scenarios, focusing particularly on the needs of passengers when there’s no driver on-board, as project director Dr Clare explains…
Dr Clare Mutzenich receiving our 2024 Self-Driving Industry Award for Research
Q: So, Dr Clare, what’s this new DfT study all about then?
“The government has promised that automated vehicles (AVs) will be on the road by 2026 and, as deployment gets closer, there are many questions about how people will interact with AVs in everyday conditions.
“Our study asked, instead, what happens when something goes wrong in a self-driving taxi and there is no driver to help, particularly if users are, for example, older adults, children, or have accessibility issues?
“We considered every one of the nine protected characteristics from the Equality Act 2010, assessing whether characteristics such as age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation affected what people could do in emergencies like a fire, flood, or unwell passenger.”
Q: That’s a complicated sample. How did you find the participants?
“We worked with recruiters who reached out to communities, charities and faith groups across Leicester, Nottingham and Birmingham. Everyone was selected based on intersecting characteristics – no one is just ‘disabled’, for example, they may also be male, catholic, black, heterosexual, and so on.
“We aimed for a fully diverse cross-section so we could understand how all users might respond to emergencies. We also removed barriers to participation. Carers could join, venues were accessible, and we avoided scheduling during religious festivals.
“We phoned people in advance to ask how we could make the experience more comfortable; like having fewer people in the room for neurodivergent participants, or scheduling around childcare for mothers. A key focus of this research was ensuring that these seldom-heard voices in transport were included so that inclusive design is baked in, right from the start.”
Q: Amazing. Please tell us more about the methodology…
“We used simulated emergencies. No one was really put into a fire situation! We created six realistic scenarios in virtual reality (VR), including internal issues like an unwell passenger, external interactions like a pedestrian trying to get into your self-driving taxi, and other issues like flooding or being dropped off in the wrong place.
“We tested 91 participants in person. They first viewed the VR scenario while we acted as a virtual moderator, flying around the scene and asking what they would need from the AV system and what they felt they could do.
“Then we took off the headsets and continued the conversation in real life. It’s an exciting, novel method – letting participants experience an immersive emergency in VR with other ‘passengers’, and then immediately reflect on it in an in-person focus group.”
Q: And the key findings were?
“Having no driver to help in an emergency made a big difference, particularly for women, younger and older participants, and those with physical, visual or cognitive impairments. What came across loud and clear was that the responsibility shifts to the user, who might need to speak to emergency services or other passengers.
“Designers will need to ensure that communication is multi-modal and accessible, for example, audio-visual alerts that clearly inform passengers what is happening. Safely exiting the vehicle was a key concern in the fire and flood scenarios. Some participants told us they would need doors or ramps to be activated or would need assistance to get out.
“As we know, disability is not universal – while some users had no issue being dropped further from their destination, for others that would be impossible. Female, non-binary and pregnant women expressed feelings of vulnerability about being alone in a self-driving taxi, especially if a pedestrian tried to enter.
“In that situation, it wasn’t always clear if they should stay in the AV with the doors locked or get out. They wanted the ability to contact a remote operator for support. Race, religion or sexual orientation sometimes made participants feel hesitant about helping or asking for help, in case they were misjudged.
“Even after an emergency, some needed help arranging alternative transport to complete their journey, sometimes preferring not to use self-driving transport again.”
Q: Knowing all that, what would be your call to action?
“The barriers faced by passengers in an emergency in a self-driving taxi aren’t always practical – they can be emotional, sensory, physical and cognitive. Many reactions are shaped by perceptions of safety linked to protected characteristics.
“The absence of a driver presents an opportunity to reimagine how support is offered and could even represent an enhanced, more inclusive service, such as multilingual options or better accessibility features.
“As the technology develops we could tailor transport assistance based on users’ individual needs, like voice-guided systems and inclusive interfaces. But, most importantly, this study shows that we can’t design transport services for people if we don’t ask them what they need.
“I learnt something new every day of testing, as participants shared their lived experience of what works and what doesn’t. For AVs to succeed, we need an equitable approach to design, otherwise the people we most hope will benefit may decide the risk isn’t worth it.”
Dr Clare Mutzenich launched Anthrometric in 2025
Specialising in behavioural science, policy and human factors, with a focus on trust, safety and accessibility, Dr Clare’s new company, Anthrometric, is there to support organisations in designing services that work for everyone.
The full DfT report “User requirements to enable passengers of automated passenger services to perform journey tasks during emergencies” is available for download here
Got a great self-driving product? Enter the Self-Driving Industry Awards 2025
Entries are now open for the third annual Self-Driving Industry Awards, the world’s #1 celebration of excellence in automated mobility.
Presented by Carsofthefuture.co.uk, the 2025 awards will follow the same peer-led format as previous years, with all entrants gaining the right to nominate deserving people and vehicles for the top honours.
The reigning Vehicle of the Year is the all-electric Ohmio Lift shuttle. It can carry up to 20 passengers, with disabled access prioritised via an automatic ramp and dedicated wheelchair bay.
Reigning Self-Driving Vehicle of the Year – the Ohmio Lift shuttle – in Margate in 2024
Neil Kennett, editor of Cars of the Future, commented: “From Milton Keynes to San Francisco, the global self-driving ecosystem continues to grow. These awards celebrate the world’s best new automated mobility products and services, and the incredible people behind them.”
The deadline for entries is 5pm UK-time on Friday 19 September 2025, with all shortlisted candidates receiving an invitation to the awards ceremony in November.
The world’s #1 converged mobility event returned to London’s Excel on 18-19 June, with UK self-driving taking centre stage, quite literally.
The show opened with a speech by Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood MP. Hot on the heels of the ITS UK event the previous day, she set the tone for another strong UK self-driving performance, saying: “By 2027, we will have one of the most robust safety frameworks for self-driving in the world.”
If MOVE 2023 was all about the environment, and 2024 was a victory for EV charging, this was self-driving’s year, illustrated by the headline chat on the main stage featuring Kaity Fischer, VP of Commercial and Fleet Operations at Wayve, in discussion with yours truly.
COTF editor Neil Kennett and Kaity Fischer of Wayve talk self-driving at MOVE 2025
The subject was “Embodied AI and the future of mobility” so naturally we started with Wayve’s AI Driver – how it differs from other systems, how it adapts to new environments without prior exposure, how most OEMs shunned it until quite recently, and why global brands like Nissan and Uber and now very much on-board.
Earlier, Lukas Neckermann, of PAVE Europe, had hosted a high-profile keynote on “The age of autonomous” featuring Pierre Pomper of Einride, Kathy Winter of May Mobility, Helen Pan of Baidu, and Gavin Jackson of Oxa.
High-profile self-driving panel on day one of MOVE 2025
It wasn’t just the prestigious slots either. Self-driving featured prominently throughout, across multiple theatres, from the biggest stands to the Start-up Village.
Self-driving & 5G
Skipping to the end, the final panel on day two was titled: Autonomous vehicles and 5G – how to ensure reliable, low-latency connectivity for driverless transport.
Also moderated by my good self, it featured Sunil Budhdeo, Transport Innovation Manager at Coventry City Council, Fabrizio de Paolis, 5G & 6G Manager at the European Space Agency, and Alex Walling, Head of Business Development for Network as Code at Nokia.
We largely focused on the safety-critical requirements for self-driving passenger vehicles, whether that’s automated driving features in privately-owned cars, robotaxis or public transport shuttles.
Starting with satellite connectivity and the role of international standards, we moved into network slicing and programmable services – how 5G networks can be more than just a pipeline – before finishing on collaborative working, how local authorities, the DfT, Ofcom and industry partners must come together to maximise the benefits of this cutting-edge tech.
Probably the most in-demand demonstration of the entire event was the driving rig on the Nokia stand – not a simulator but real-time, real-life remote operation – the chance to drive an actual car on a closed road in Estonia from a chair in an exhibition hall in Docklands. Impressive, engaging, and one in the eye for anyone doubting the viability of this important capability.
Neil Kennett remote operates a real car on a closed road in Estonia from MOVE 2025
In other news, it was great to hear from 2023 Self-Driving Industry Award winner Thomas Sors that Beam Connectivity are now operating in UK airports, from Ahmed Abdelazim that Sensible 4’s extreme weather expertise is becoming more widely appreciated, and from Martin Kahl that influential groups like FISITA are giving self-driving ever more attention.
Our reigning champions continue to go from strength-to-strength too, with Jose Paris updating us on the uptake of Streetscope’s Collision Hazard Measure, and Deniz Cetin confirming that Karsan are operating autonomously in ever more locations worldwide.
Other highlights
Elsewhere, there were plenty of non-self-driving attractions – from active travel solutions to mechanical wonders like the Neitem tilt technology, which dramatically reduces the risk of rollover in three-wheelers.
Thanks to Charlotte Jones of the Motability Foundation for explaining the logic behind a host of clever features in their new concept vehicle – notably improved access, more storage and the innovative utility bar.
Motability Foundation concept at MOVE 2025
We must also mention Dr Clare Mutzenich’s interview with Ali Russell, Managing Director of Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen-powered off-road racing series.
We saw the car at a recent event at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium but were not aware of the groundbreaking approach – 50/50 male female driving teams with equal time behind the wheel, closing the racing opportunity gender gap and attracting a far more diverse audience than the likes of F1 and Nascar.
What else? Oh yes, we gave out loads of copies of the new Summer 2025 Cars of the Future magazine. The feedback was amazing, to the extent that we’re seriously considering becoming regular printers!
Active travel at MOVE 2025
Congrats to Grace, Mate, Maya and the whole Terrapinn team for another fantastic event, and kudos to Somdip Dey for being the snappiest dresser at the MOVE Groove afterparty.
