Driverless vehicles to tackle mines and 'extreme' weather

Autonomous vehicles will operate in extreme environments as part of a government-funded project.

The driverless technology could “revolutionise” productivity in the mining and construction sectors, a government announcement said, as it confirmed £22.4m investment in 22 connected and autonomous vehicle R&D projects.

Other schemes will develop technology allowing self-driving cars to function in weather where visibility is so poor humans could not drive, and Parkopedia will develop autonomous valet parking systems.

Several projects will also explore autonomous “mobility as a service” initiatives in London, Cambridge and Didcot in Oxfordshire. Jaguar Land Rover and Caterpillar will lead work on some of the other 22 concepts.

The funding will take companies’ projects “to the next level and help them achieve commercial success,” said automotive minister Richard Harrington.

The government now supports 73 connected and autonomous vehicle projects, with a portfolio worth £180m. The funding will contribute to its goal of having fully self-driving cars on the roads by 2021.