- Nissan leads £3 million UK Government-backed research project with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick to deploy a UK mobility service, setting a blueprint for other communities using autonomous driving (AD) technology.
- Working in Cambridge, ‘ADventure’ will explore how autonomous drive passenger services can be safely introduce to real-world communities to boost connectivity, public acceptance and accessibility.
- Using a specially equipped 2022 Nissan LEAF, a team of Nissan expert engineers and partners will combine real-world testing and community engagement to shape city-ready autonomous mobility services.
CRANFIELD, UK — Nissan will bring self-driving cars to Cambridge to serve real life people in real life communities.
Looking beyond just vehicle technology, ADventure will study how an autonomous mobility service can operate in a real-world environment. Working alongside local authorities, commuters and residents, the project will examine how future AD technology can create social value, improve accessibility and address local transport challenges. One example would be potentially taking a person who doesn't drive to a medical appointment.
Building on more than a decade of research and innovation, engineers at Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) will lead the collaborative project, with Cambridge selected as the project's first real-world trial where engineers can develop a service that can be replicated across the UK.
David Moss, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) said:
“This project is an important step for autonomous mobility in the UK. With UK Government backing, it will take autonomous vehicle research beyond central London and into another city, helping us understand how these services can work for different communities and real-life journeys.
“By developing and applying Nissan’s in-house expertise, combined with the wider knowledge from our partners, we can delve further into how self-driving vehicles can improve connectivity, accessibility and quality of everyday life.”
Backed by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) and facilitated via the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) in partnership with Innovate UK and inward investment, the £3 million consortium project forms part of the UK's ambition to accelerate the development and deployment of connected and autonomous mobility technologies.
Working in collaboration with WMG and PAVE UK (Partners for Automated Vehicle Education UK), the project will focus on three key areas:
- Designing mobility services around cities and communities – understanding how autonomous mobility could complement existing transport networks and respond to local needs.
- Building passenger confidence – exploring what people need to feel informed, comfortable and included when using future autonomous mobility services.
- Testing technology in real-world conditions – validating how autonomous driving systems perform safely and effectively on public roads.
Minister for Reindustrialisation for Department of Business, Innovations, Science and Trade, Blair McDougall said:
“Britain’s autonomous vehicle sector is world-class, and our Modern Industrial Strategy is bringing business and science together to support the innovators shaping the future of transport.
By backing cutting-edge technologies with the investment they need to scale up key projects, we are backing firms like Nissan to drive growth and create jobs in every part of the UK - reinforcing Britain’s leadership in this fast-growing industry.”
Through a rigorous scoping process, Cambridge was selected due to its reputation and expertise as one of the UK's leading centres for transport innovation and autonomous mobility research. The city has already hosted several pioneering AD initiatives, making it an ideal environment for exploring how future autonomous services could complement local transport networks and support community needs.
Cllr Brian Milnes, Chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership, said:
“We’re pleased to be supporting Nissan with their research project and helping them on their autonomous technology journey.
“Cambridge has already become one of the UK's most exciting places to test autonomous transport and it’s now being recognised as a test-bed for ADventure.
“We’re looking forward to working with the project partners and building on the future of self-driving vehicles, particularly exploring the benefits to communities and boosting local transport.”
Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Head of Safe Autonomy at WMG, said:
“We are excited to be partnering with Nissan as they bring their autonomous mobility service plans to the UK.
“Applying our deep safety and user-experience expertise to the ADventure project, we will be able to co-create a safe mobility service design with the public in a way that meets both their needs and the city’s transport priorities.
“This remains a shared mission for all the partners, and reflects the real impact autonomous driving technology can have.”
ADventure will utilise an existing 2022 Nissan LEAF based test car, used in previous UK research projects. Equipped with Nissan-developed advanced AD technology, it will evaluate potential passenger mobility needs and gather real-world insights. Throughout the project, local communities will play a central role in helping researchers understand how autonomous services can improve connectivity and enhance access to opportunities for real people.
The project builds on Nissan’s AD expertise from previous projects such as HumanDrive, ServCity and evolvAD. These have helped advance understanding of how AD technology performs across various driving scenes.
The project also demonstrates Nissan’s wider Vision plan by showing how advanced vehicle technology can transcend into real-world mobility services that people can trust and use every day.
ADventure will conclude with a public-road demonstration in Cambridge, showcasing how autonomous mobility services could one day support a more connected, accessible and sustainable transport systems for communities across the country.
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Contacts:
Callum Daly
Section Manager - Communications
E: callum.daly@ntc-europe.co.uk