Aftermarket June 2022

B y 2030, the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles will be banned, and car dealerships will only have electric models on display, which will include autonomous options. It is fair to say that drivers are looking at this exciting prospect with anticipation. As the hype for the future of mobility rises, we are left with one, intriguing question – what types of self-driving cars can we expect to see on our roads? Here, we take a look at what may happen in the space of five years, and how far technology will take us. Policy and legislation The UK is working hard to be on track for the introduction of future vehicles. Through the implementation of policies and legislation, our country is paving the way towards allowing the safe access of AVs on British streets. According to KPMG’s Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index 2020, with an index ranking score of 21.36, Britain sits in ninth position when it comes to readiness for self- driving cars. With a strong focus on safety, cybersecurity, technology, and public transport, the UK is actively preparing for the innovation in mobility. As for the reviewing and introduction of pertinent legislation, Britain ranks second on the Policy and legislation pillar. More specifically, in July 2018, the UK accepted the so-called Automated and Electric Vehicles Act, which strives to update insurance rules to cover autonomous vehicles. In this respect, Roads Minister Jesse Norman said that the act “will ensure that the UK’s infrastructure and insurance system is ready for the biggest transport revolution in a century.” A second consultation was published in 2019, addressing AV regulation for public services, including driverless taxis and minibuses. Recently, the UK government has also released a third consultation, which serves as an extension to define self-driving, guarantee security, and specify the difference between a fleet operation and a user-in-charge. Britain’s progress in terms of making adaptations for autonomous cars is increasingly evident. Indeed, if granted 16 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2022 TECHNICAL www.aftermarketonline.net TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED Grange looks at what the future might hold for self-driving vehicles on British roads a GB type approval, all vehicles that are equipped with Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) technology will be classified as AVs. This suggests that autonomous cars may be able to hit our roads in the very near future, but on one condition – they cannot exceed a speed of 37mph. How independent will self-driving vehicles be? The term ‘autonomous vehicle’ implies that the car will happily do its thing without the intervention of a human. AVs are divided into different categories and, of course, self-driving vehicles are part of this classification. However, they only include its most advanced stage – Level 5. What about the other four levels? What type of AVs do they feature? Let’s take a look. No driving automation (Level 0) Level 0 stands for a basic, manual vehicle. In these types of cars, humans take care of all driving operations, including operating the gear stick. Driver assistance (Level 1) Level 1 cars are fitted with adaptive cruise control, making them an upgraded version of entirely manual vehicles. This feature allows the car to regulate speed and perform lane centring on its own. Partial driving automation (Level 2) Currently, most vehicles on our roads are Level 2 autonomy. From accelerating and braking functions to automatic steering, these cars feature a range of handy features. Conditional driving automation (Level 3) In large, these cars are self-driving, but only in specific conditions. In fact, drivers are always required to be alert and to take control of the vehicle if needed. Cars that are equipped with ALKS will be classified as Level 3 vehicles, which are the AVs that the British government plans to introduce on our roads first.