Meeting Free

Self-Driving Vehicle Working Group – inaugural meeting

10am – 12pm 6 December 2023 techUK, 10 St Bride Street, EC4A 4AD + Online

techUK members are invited attend the inaugural meeting of its newly formed Self-Driving Vehicle Working Group (SDVWG) on 6 December, 10:00-12:00, at techUK’s office and online.

The core objective of this group is to ensure that the UK meets its ambition to commercially deploy Level 4 automated vehicles on public roads by 2025.

The King’s Speech was an important moment for the SDV sector in the UK as the Government announced the Automated Vehicles Bill that is now making its way through Parliament. The SDVWG will be a key voice as this legislation works it way to becoming law and the regulatory framework is established.

To achieve this, the group will focus on the following deliverables:

Act as a consultee to the Department for Transport (DfT) as the Automated Vehicles Bill becomes law, enabling the safe commercial deployment of SDVs on public roads.

Provide a means for the SDV industry to inform wider areas of tech policy including AI, data and ethics; and wider debates, including licensing, legal and insurance.

Shape the public and political debate on SDVs in the move towards commercial deployment by engaging with MPs and local government through direct meetings and the wider public through media relations.

Act as a bridge between the tech and automotive sectors, ensuring that there is a clear alignment of priorities and vision for the SDV sector.

Represent the UK SDV industry internationally, including to foreign trade associations, political stakeholders and regulatory bodies.

Context

The formation of the SDVWG is an important step forward in techUK’s work in this sector.

Since the publication of our initial position paper “UK Competitiveness in Autonomous Vehicle Technology” in November 2021, we have rapidly grown our recognition as an important and credible voice in this debate, and established positive relationships across Government and industry.

Group chairmanship and composition

The SDVWG will have a Chair and Vice-Chair appointed from within techUK’s membership base.

Given the publication of the Automated Vehicles Bill and subsequent rapid introduction to Parliament, the appointment of these roles will take place in early 2024.

The SDVWG is open to all techUK members keen to help drive our agenda in this space.

Some of the group’s work will focus on the technical requirements for self-driving vehicles, and we are especially keen to involve members with an interest in shaping the UK’s regulatory approach for this exciting technology.

If you have any questions or would like to have an informal conversation about the SDVWG you are welcome to contact [email protected].