A self-driving car developed in the UK was featured in the live broadcast of Tomorrow's World Live: For One Night Only

Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) participated in the much-loved science and technology show when it returned to our screens (November 22nd) for a one-off show on BBC Four 15 years after it was last broadcast.

TMETC recently completed a three-year project to develop connected and autonomous vehicle technology, which saw several self-driving vehicles operating on the streets of Coventry and Milton Keynes.

The UK Autodrive project, co-funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, brought together 15 partners including OEMs, cutting edge engineering businesses, academia and progressive councils to explore the impact of connected and autonomous vehicle technology (CAV), in a safe and controlled setting.

David Hudson, Head of Propulsion at TMETC, said: “We felt privileged to participate in one of the BBC’s most celebrated technology programmes and reveal our Tata HEXA autonomous vehicle to a wider audience.

“The UK Autodrive project has been challenging but has enabled TMETC to safely test its CAV technologies in a real-world environment.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate our self-driving technology on live television and we hope it has given viewers an inspiring insight into the future of mobility.”

Rajendra Petkar, Chief Technology Officer, Tata Motors, added: “At Engineering Research Centre (ERC) we have been actively undertaking Research and Development work on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as well as full vehicle autonomy in order to be future ready.

“We are likely to embrace connected, electric and shared technology sooner and therefore it is essential we remain at the forefront of these developments. We are elated to be a part of Tomorrow's World Live: For One Night Only which has provided us with a great platform to showcase our innovation.”

ENDS

Picture caption: The Tata Motors European Technical Centre team at Tomorrow's World Live: For One Night Only.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya was pleased to welcome a delegation from Tata Sons to WMG recently.

The delegation led by Mr Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons were given a tour of the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC). The Centre, which is a long-term commitment between Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, WMG and the University of Warwick, is a unique resource and the first of its kind in Europe, providing an environment to foster collaboration, cohesion and sharing knowledge, combining automotive expertise nationally and internationally.

The visitors were also shown our state-of-the-art 3xD Simulator for Intelligent Vehicles where experts explained more about Midlands Future Mobility, a £25m project led by WMG which will see roads in Coventry and Birmingham become the UK testbed for developing the next generation connected and autonomous vehicles.

Finally, Mr Chandrasekaran and his colleagues were given a tour of our Energy Innovation Centre, which is going through significant expansion, and will see WMG to continue to provide a unique facility for industry and academia to develop innovative energy storage technology.

Mr Chandrasekaran and his colleagues was very interested to see for themselves some of the WMG projects and commented on the quality of research and innovative approach to R&D.

The National Automotive Innovation Centre, at the University of Warwick, saw a construction milestone hit, today, with the completion of the external grounds. WMG’s Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Jaguar Land Rover’s Professor Dr Ralf Speth and TMETC’s John O’Connor, along with Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, and Rosie Drinkwater, University of Warwick marked the milestone with a specially engraved stone.

The Centre, which will open in Summer 2018, will become the driving force behind the future of the UK’s automotive sector. It will be the largest automotive R&D facility in Europe and is a long term commitment between Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, and WMG.