- Nissan’s evolvAD autonomous driving project wins The Engineer’s 2025 Collaborate to Innovate (C2i) Automotive Award
- The consortium‑led programme, using electric Nissan LEAFs with cutting‑edge autonomous technology, demonstrated reliable performance across complex urban and rural environments
- The award, recognises evolvAD’s success in uniting industry, academia and government to accelerate scalable autonomous mobility solutions
Nissan’s groundbreaking autonomous driving initiative, evolvAD, has taken home the Automotive Award at The Engineer’s 2025 Collaborate to Innovate (C2i) Awards. The award recognises how Nissan’s engineering efforts are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on today’s roads.
Presented at the Institution of Civil Engineers by sponsors from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), the award highlights the achievements of Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) engineers and their partners as they tackle one of the industry’s biggest challenges: making Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) dependable, safe and ready for everyday use. It also marks a major step in strengthening the UK supply chain needed to support future commercial rollout.
Robert Bateman, evolvAD Project Manager and Manager of Nissan’s Research and Advanced Engineering team at NTCE, said:
“Seeing a Nissan LEAF drive itself in both urban and rural conditions was an exciting and proud moment, capping this fantastic engineering effort.
“On behalf of the entire evolvAD team at Nissan and our partners, it is a privilege to receive this award and be recognised by our industry peers.
“This project demonstrates the power of collaboration across industry, academia and government. Working together, evolvAD not only advances Nissan’s autonomous drive capability but also strengthens the UK’s position as a global leader in connected and autonomous vehicle innovation.”
Building on the success of earlier UK projects, HumanDrive and ServCity, evolvAD advances Nissan’s global vision for a safer, cleaner and more inclusive mobility future.
Delivered by a consortium of five partners with Nissan as technical lead, evolvAD was jointly funded by government and industry. The government’s £100m Intelligent Mobility fund was administered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and delivered by Innovate UK.
Using the second generation, 100% electric, Nissan LEAFs equipped with cutting edge autonomous drive systems, and with a safety driver seated behind the wheel, hands off and observing the surrounding traffic, the project tested performance across both narrow urban residential areas and winding rural roads at high speeds with little to no road markings.
At its heart, evolvAD brings together expertise in vehicle engineering, digital infrastructure, communications and safety to develop solutions that extend beyond tightly controlled test tracks. With a focus on real-world scalability and strengthening UK capability, the programme aims not only to advance autonomous driving capability but also to equip UK suppliers with the tools and technical direction needed to compete in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
The consortium partners include:
- Nissan: Lead partner and leading the development of the connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) that will be trialled during the project
- Connected Places Catapult: Applying advanced machine-learning techniques to generate high-definition maps from aerial imagery
- Humanising Autonomy: UK supplier with advanced vulnerable road user (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists) perception and behaviour estimation capability
- SBD Automotive: On Board Cyber security and advanced safety case
- TRL: Further developing vehicle system validation processes utilising infrastructure on the Smart Mobility Living Lab (SMLL) testbed
About Nissan AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe & Oceania)
Nissan AMIEO comprises Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania markets. This vast and diverse region employs more than 13,000 people and covers 140 markets with a population of around 3.8 billion. The AMIEO region also boasts an extensive vehicle offering, ranging from the iconic Nissan Patrol SUV to the fully electric crossover, Nissan Ariya.
Sustainability is at the core of Nissan's long-term vision, Ambition 2030, which sets out to deliver electrified models and technological innovation in key markets globally and support Nissan's goal to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products and operations by 2050.
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Contacts:
Callum Daly
Section Manager - Communications
E: callum.daly@ntc-europe.co.uk