public policy aspects of connected and autonomous vehicles

Public Policy for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles

Images: Bosch 'connected car' concept (exhibited at CES 2016)

January 11th 2016 Bill Harpley2

Bill HarpleyPrincipal Consultant

Astius Technology

[email protected]

This presentation was given to a meeting of Brighton IoT forum ( @IoT_brighton )

January 11th 2016


Overview

The UK Experience● Evolution roadmap● Policy challenges● Current programmes

The Global Experience● U.S.A● China● Germany


Part 1: the UK experience


Levels of Vehicle Automation

Six levels of vehicle automation have been defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (standard J3016)

L0 Driver only Conventional vehicle – driver manages all aspects of speed and direction

L1 Assisted Driver receives support for specialised tasks (e.g. parking)

L2 Partial Automation

Driver receives support for coping with predefined scenarios (e.g. Traffic jam warning and avoidance)

L3 Conditional Automation

Driver can relinquish control to automated system but must be ready to take back control (e.g. Motorway Autopilot)

L4 Significant Automation

Majority of journey may automated by some driver intervention may be required (e.g. Urban motoring)

L5 Complete Automation

Complete end-to-end journey without driver intervention


Evolution of the Connected Car

● The long timescale is a major challenge for policy makers.

● Expect multiple generations of technology to co-exist.


Policy Challenges (1 of 2)

Safety

Need to work with EU and automotive sector to define safety standards.

Testing

Rules for testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.

Insurance and Liability

Need to work with Insurance industry to develop framework for C&AV.

Privacy and Data Connected cars will produce vast amounts of data

● Ownership?

● Privacy?

Digital Infrastructure● Funding

● Time-scales

● Resilience

Rules of the Road

Revision of Highway Code and penalties for infringement.


Policy Challenges (2 of 2)

Cybersecurity

'hacking' of vehicles is a serious concern.

M2M communications

Ofcom needs to develop policies and regulate telecoms market to support C&AV.

Ethical considerations

C&AV is an ethical minefield. Who will decide how C&AVs will behave?

Electric VehiclesPolicy for Electric Vehicles needs to be developed in tandem with C&AV.


The role of Government

Government has a major role in guiding the evolutionof the C&AV sector● As we saw in Slide 6, there is a need to plan over long time-scales

( 2030 and beyond ).● Need to build consensus as to what regulations are in the public

interest.● Be careful not to stifle innovation with “too much” regulation.● Must arbitrate among many competing stakeholder views.

Overall it is a very difficult balance to get right!


Policy Responses

● There is strong global competition for investment in the C&AV sector

● The UK Government has stated it's position:

“The UK is one of the best countries for car makers and others to develop and test these technologies because of our:

● permissive regulations

● thriving automotive sector

● excellent research base and innovation infrastructure”


Key policy initiatives (1 of 2)● Summer of 2014 DoT began a regulatory

review ● December 2014 - £10m in funding from

Innovate UK for driverless car trials in Bristol, Greenwich and Milton Keynes

● February 2015 “Pathway to Driverless Cars” policy document published – makes case for “light touch” regulation


Key policy initiatives (2 of 2)

● March 2015 £200m fund for 'Intelligent Mobility' announced in budget (£100m from Government, with £100m matched by industry)

● July 2015 DoT – Published its “Code of Practice for Testing

Autonomous Vehicles”– Announced a £20m competitive fund (to be matched

by industry) to stimulate R&D in C&AV technology– Established the Centre for Connected and

Autonomous Vehicles


Mission of C-CAV● ONE-STOP SHOP Providing a single point of contact for industry.

● STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT Devising an analytical strategy to inform decision making for government investment in CAV and underpinning infrastructure.

● FUNDING Co-ordinating government funded R&D to ensure that the competitions deliver government objectives for CAVs (subject to spending review).

● REGULATORY Working at national and international level to review and amend domestic and international regulations including clarification of liabilities.

● CRITICAL ISSUES Amending regulations on vehicle use to promote safety and address the issues of data security, privacy, and sharing to ensure a balanced approach to securing personal privacy against the needs of insurers and OEMs.


LUTZ Pathfinder

● “Low-carbon Urban Transport Zone” vehicle● Used in trials in driverless car trials in Milton Keynes


ESPRC Funding

October 2015 – ESPRC announce £11m funding for R&D programme between Jaguar LandRover and 10 UK universities – aim is to develop fully autonomous vehicles


Transport Catapult

November 2015 the Transport Catapult and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) announced a competition to accelerate the introduction of driverless cars.

“Ways in which transport systems are planned, designed, built, operated and accessed by users have changed beyond recognition over the last 20 years and will change even more over the next 20. Autonomous vehicles will bring huge benefits as well as significant challenges for the sector. We look forward to seeing the ideas and solutions that this competition gives an opportunity to demonstrate.” - CIHT President, Sue Sharland

https://ts.catapult.org.uk/-/competition-seeks-to-accelerate-introduction-of-driverless-cars


Part 2: the Global experience


U.S.AAnn Arbor trials began in 2012 conducted by University of Michigan● Aim was to test the effectiveness of installing collision avoidance technology in vehicles to

reduce accidents on the road.● Motivation was to reduce traffic accident fatalities (~32,000 p.a. in U.S.).● Wireless vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology employed to reduce the number of collisions

between vehicles. – Can detect sudden braking of vehicle in front.– Sensor units were installed in 3000 vehicles.

● Wireless vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I ) technology was deployed at major road junctions. – Static sensors and responders prevent collisions between vehicles and kerbside infrastructure.

● Drivers were paid $200 at the end of the study and trial was supervised by the University of Michigan Transportation & Research Institute.

● Initial trial was judged to be a success and it was subsequently expanded to include 9000 cars, buses and trucks.

● Trial cost $18m dollars to conduct.


U.S.A.May 2015 DoT have mandated that V2V technology be fitted into all new vehicles, starting in 2016.

September 2015 DoT have announced budget of $42m for a 'CV Pilot Deployment Program'

● Extension of the Ann Arbor trial to New York, Tampa, Wyoming (east-west highway)

● New York City will install Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) technology in vehicles that frequently travel in Midtown Manhattan, and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) technology throughout Midtown.

● Up to 10,000 cars and buses will be fitted with this technology during the next year.


U.S.A.MCity – dedicated C&AV test site built by University of Michigan

● Cost $6.5 million to build.

● Large 32 acre site.

● Opened in July 2015.

Collaboration between:

● Transportation Research Institute

● Michigan Department of Transportation

● automakers Ford, General Motors and Toyota.

http://www.mtc.umich.edu/


China● Most of auto-industry is stated owned (often has foreign

partners)● Boundary between “public policy” and “private projects” can

seem blurred (to an outsider!)● Some commentators suggest that China has the potential

to overtake the U.S. in driverless car research and development. – China’s government has the ability to direct lots of

capital into research.– limit or eliminate exposure of researchers and car

makers to lawsuits.● First commercial launch of AV on public roads may happen

in China!


China● Hongqi HQ3 driverless car - modified sedan built by

the National University of Defense Technology● Employs cameras, sensors and onboard computer (did not

use GPS) ● In 2011 this car navigated the route between Changsha to

Wuhan – 154 mile trip ( 248km )

– three-and-a-half-hour drive

– Included navigating through highway traffic at an average speed of 54 miles per hour

– It overtook 67 cars on the journey

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/china-responds-to-googles-driverless-car-with-the-hongqi-hq3-37850.html


ChinaYutong driverless bus (August 2015)

● Yutong a major bus/coach maker

● Bus navigated between Zhengzou and Kaifeng

– Distance of 20 miles (32km)

– Bus uses laser, radar, and camera systems on each side of the vehicle

● YouTube video shows passengers onboard the bus!

https://youtu.be/vEXoTFz-JOw


Germany● Germany a significant player in the global automotive sector

– Sector spends €34 billion on R&D– German R&D accounts for one-third of all global research

expenditure on automotive technology

● Federal Ministry of Transport launched an “Automated Driving” Round Table in 2014– Aim was to solicit input from broad range of stakeholders (e.g.

Insurance, Government, Auto-makers)– Modify legal framework to permit testing on public roads (Germany

is signatory to 1968 Vienna Traffic Convention)– Focus currently on transition from “partially automated” to “highly

automated driving”– Emphasis on gradual evolution of technology–


Germany

Daimler driverless truck (Sept. 2015)● Trial conducted on specially

designated stretch of autobahn near Baden-Wurttenberg

● Required approval from the local state authorities

● Manually driven to trial and then switched over to auto-drive

● Reached speeds of 50mph (80km/h)

● Requirement that a human operator be on board to handle emergency situations.

Daimler organised an Autonomous Driving ethics conference in Frankfurt (September 2015)

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2015/09/23/142304-daimler-organizes-symposium-autonomous-driving-law-and-ethics.html


Germany

Wuppertal test zone ( starts in 2016 )

● U.S. auto-component maker Delphi employs 700 people in the city– Delphi is a major supplier of “Vehicle-to-Everything” collision avoidance technology

– Given approval by Wuppertal city authority to build a 17km long stretch of “test highway”

● The special zone along public highway 418 will offer a realistic mix of driving situations (e.g. fast stretches, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings).

● Requirement that a human operator be on board to handle emergency situations.

http://Delphi/


Conclusions

● All major industrial nations have some form of C&AV support programme

● There are significant differences in approach to regulatory issues

● There are strong pressures building within the industry for commercial launch of autonomous vehicles on public roads

● Open question how regulators will deal with these pressures.