{"id":55949,"date":"2015-03-26T16:23:21","date_gmt":"2015-03-26T16:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=e6220a56dea6633115a67d621b516798"},"modified":"2015-03-26T16:23:21","modified_gmt":"2015-03-26T16:23:21","slug":"speech-new-era-for-motoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=55949","title":{"rendered":"Speech: New era for motoring"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Thank you Mike Hawes (Chief Executive, SMMT<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n

And good morning everyone.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a real pleasure to join you here at the QEII Centre for what I\u2019m sure will be a fascinating day.<\/p>\n

People often remark that the basic format of the motor car has changed little in over a century.<\/p>\n

That we still drive around today in four-wheeled, rubber-tyred vehicles powered by internal combustion engines via mechanical drivetrains.<\/p>\n

Just like the Model T Ford.<\/p>\n

And just like my own 1900 De Dion-Bouton, although my car has a tiller system which predates the modern steering wheel. <\/p>\n

But while it may be true that the original design concept for the motor car has proved remarkably enduring, it certainly doesn\u2019t mean that carmakers have lacked innovation.<\/p>\n

This is a highly sophisticated industry, working at the cutting edge of modern engineering.<\/p>\n

And one that has made enormous technological advances over the decades.<\/p>\n

Making cars ever more safe, fuel efficient, and reliable.<\/p>\n

But I believe that the industry\u2019s progress in recent years will be overshadowed by what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n

Because we are entering a genuinely new era for motoring.<\/p>\n

One that will be every bit as revolutionary as Henry Ford\u2019s Model T or Karl Benz\u2019s Motorwagen.<\/p>\n

And it will be revolutionary because for the first time, vehicles and roads will be designed to work together.<\/p>\n

Autonomous technology<\/h2>\n

Connected infrastructure, autonomous cars, vehicle to vehicle communications, and smart logistics will combine to transform road travel.<\/p>\n

The new technology will give drivers an option, whether they want to be in control – or hand the task to the vehicle itself.<\/p>\n

It will give us much improved information about journey options and routes\u2026<\/p>\n

Avoid congestion.<\/p>\n

It will help us find parking spaces.<\/p>\n

And fix faults if we break down.<\/p>\n

It will save us time, money and inconvenience.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll make our streets safer, and extend the freedom of the road to those currently unable to drive.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019ll change the way we manage traffic, so we can make more efficient use of road capacity. <\/p>\n

No-one currently driving, or working in the motor industry, will have experienced such fundamental change before.<\/p>\n

And this change will also prompt a period of unrivalled opportunity for those who can rise to the challenge.<\/p>\n

What UK can offer<\/h2>\n

We believe we are well placed here in the UK to take advantage of that opportunity.<\/p>\n

We have an ambitious vision for roads – which we set out in our \u00a315 billion Road investment strategy<\/a> before Christmas.<\/p>\n

The UK automotive industry is thriving.<\/p>\n

Last year, turnover exceeded \u00a360 billion, and you increased production to more than 1.5 million.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a new car rolling off a production line every 20 seconds.<\/p>\n

We are also spending \u00a3550 million up to 2020 to support Ultra Low Emission Vehicles \u2013 or ULEVs.<\/p>\n

And to build a charging infrastructure, so 95% of the strategic road network will be within 20 miles of a rapid charging point.<\/p>\n

But on top of this, we have world-leading, industry-led capability in automotive and transport innovation.<\/p>\n

Ford\u2019s technical centre in Dunton, and Nissan\u2019s Cranfield operation, are just two examples. <\/p>\n

And we are building invaluable experience with autonomous vehicle technologies.<\/p>\n

We are rolling out smart motorways<\/a>, which are pioneering some of the technologies that will be developed for driverless motoring in the future.<\/p>\n

The result will be continuous smart corridors linking our major cities.<\/p>\n

And recently, following a six-month review, we gave the green light to autonomous car testing on UK roads.<\/p>\n

Titled The pathway to driverless cars<\/a>, the review concluded that the UK is one of the best places in the world to trial this technology.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t require special permits.<\/p>\n

And we don\u2019t need to restrict trials to test-tracks. <\/p>\n

Anyone wishing to conduct tests will simply be expected to comply with a code of practice and abide by the law, so our excellent road safety record is maintained.<\/p>\n

In a similar way, when Amazon was looking for a site to develop its innovative drone delivery system, it chose the UK, because restrictions prevented it from testing in the US.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the recent review, we now have an opportunity to make the UK a global centre for the design, manufacture and use of driverless vehicles.<\/p>\n

We are already working with partners like Williams Formula 1 team and Jaguar Land Rover to develop the technology.<\/p>\n

But we want to invite the major car manufacturers to come here to develop and test new models.<\/p>\n

Early testing will provide a real competitive advantage in a driverless vehicle market that is estimated to be worth \u00a340 billion globally by 2030.<\/p>\n

In July we launched a competition to find UK towns or cities to host the trials.<\/p>\n

And just a couple of months later, the Chancellor announced that Greenwich, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Bristol had been successful.<\/p>\n

So we are now providing \u00a319 million to fund testing on their streets.<\/p>\n

In the Budget, a further \u00a3100 million was dedicated to invest in intelligent mobility.<\/p>\n

And we are delivering a \u00a3150 million innovation fund for Highways England \u2013 which until recently was known as the Highways Agency.<\/p>\n

That sum includes around \u00a340 million to support driverless and co-operative vehicle systems.<\/p>\n

So this government is fully behind the programme.<\/p>\n

Roll out of technology<\/h2>\n

Of course, some aspects of driverless technologies are already common on today\u2019s cars.<\/p>\n

ABS.<\/p>\n

Electronic stability control.<\/p>\n

And automatic emergency braking are just 3 examples.<\/p>\n

But we\u2019re also seeing the development of more sophisticated technologies.<\/p>\n

Like advanced cruise control, automatic parking, and lane recognition systems.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re working with the industry to ensure that telematics provides maximum benefits to young drivers.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to see these features available on all cars.<\/p>\n

In the case of automatic emergency braking \u2013 insurers tell me they can only take this into account if it is a standard feature \u2013 not an optional extra.<\/p>\n

The sooner this is standard across the range, the sooner improved safety will be reflected in reduced insurance premiums.<\/p>\n

Indeed, Co-operative Insurance analysis suggests that telematics has already led to a 20% fall in crashes involving young drivers.<\/p>\n

This process will be evolutionary, rather than revolutionary.<\/p>\n

But steadily, autonomous technologies will become more widespread.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve had great success over the past couple of years in stimulating the ULEV market.<\/p>\n

Consumers are now buying electric cars for commercial reasons as well as environmental ones.<\/p>\n

And indeed, after trying out the Tesla recently, the driving experience alone was enough to make me want to buy one.<\/p>\n

(Although there is the small matter of the \u00a380,000 price tag)<\/p>\n

In a similar way, the market for autonomous technologies will gather pace with time.<\/p>\n

Leading the way will be fleets.<\/p>\n

Just as they lead the way in many vehicle innovations.<\/p>\n

But logistics operators, car clubs and leasing companies are also likely to drive the early market.<\/p>\n

All in all, it\u2019s going to be an area of considerable growth, and hence considerable opportunity for the motor industry.<\/p>\n

Conclusion – next steps<\/h2>\n

The next step is for us to publish a \u2018light touch\u2019 code of practice to manage the introduction of emerging autonomous systems. <\/p>\n

This was the conclusion of the recent regulatory review – to help establish a clear regime for testing in the UK, supporting industry\u2019s efforts to bring these technologies forward, while also ensuring public safety. <\/p>\n

We will be seeking views of the SMMT<\/abbr> on the content, shape and structure of the code to make sure that it fits what you \u2013 the vehicle manufacturers \u2013 need to get testing started.<\/p>\n

We know how important interoperability is.<\/p>\n

And we are already working closely with Europe to deliver this.<\/p>\n

With so far-reaching an issue, a partnership approach between government, industry and highways operators is absolutely essential.<\/p>\n

So we build a consensus about how to move forward.<\/p>\n

And so you have the necessary support and freedom to do what you do best.<\/p>\n

Which is to innovate \u2013 and find better solutions to our mobility needs.<\/p>\n

At such a crucial stage in the development of autonomous technology, I\u2019m reminded of something that happened almost 120 years ago.<\/p>\n

A time when the initial development of cars in Britain had been hampered by legislation.<\/p>\n

And in particular, by the Locomotive Acts, and Red Flag Laws.<\/p>\n

Which required pedestrians to walk ahead waving a lantern or red flag to warn bystanders of a car\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n

And which imposed strict speed limits on powered vehicles.<\/p>\n

But that all changed in 1896, when the laws were repealed.<\/p>\n

Over the next 17 years, 200 different makes of British car were launched.<\/p>\n

Finally industry here had the opportunity it needed to develop new products, and to compete in a rapidly growing market.<\/p>\n

Well today, I\u2019m determined that as we move towards a new autonomous age of motoring\u2026.<\/p>\n

There\u2019ll be no red flag from this government.<\/p>\n

Just a green light for the future.<\/p>\n

Your future.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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