Successful self-driving shuttle trial to be extended
Wednesday 30 July 2025
Successful self-driving shuttle trial to be extended
The SCALE project, which began public trials in March 2025, is a pioneering partnership led by Solihull Council and supported by WMG. The self-driving shuttle service is one of nine projects to have received funding from the UK Government-funded Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder – Enhancements programme.
The £150 million CAM Pathfinder programmeLink opens in a new window, which was announced in the UK Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector PlanLink opens in a new window, is funded by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) — a joint unit between the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Transport (DfT) — and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.
The programme aims to address the complexities in commercialising CAM solutions to support and grow the UK’s CAM supply chain and ready the market for CAM services, enhancing both investment and export opportunities.
Each of the projects — including SCALE 2 — has already conducted work supported by the UK Government, with this additional funding set to help the consortia behind each project further develop and demonstrate their commerciality.
SCALE 2 will build on the success of the initial SCALE project, which saw a three-strong fleet of self-driving shuttles carry passengers from the NEC to the adjacent parking area, by extending the service to cover a 7km route, linking passengers from Birmingham International railway station and the NEC to Birmingham Business Park, which hosts up to 10,000 visitors a day.
The pioneering project — which is a first of its kind in the UK — is being delivered by a consortium led by Solihull Council, including WMG, University of Warwick; Coventry University; Transport for West Midlands (TfWM); the NEC; Coventry City Council; and automated vehicle simulation specialists, IPG and dRISK.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Planning, said: “Our CAM shuttle trial has already delivered hugely valuable, real-world insight into how automated vehicles can safely operate in busy, public settings. It’s been a landmark initiative for Solihull Council and our consortium partners, and an encouraging glimpse of what future transport could look like.
“With the expansion into a more complex route, we’re entering an exciting next chapter. This phase will further deepen our understanding and move us one step closer to a future where safer, smarter, and more sustainable transport is an everyday reality.”
Ben Ayre, WMG’s Lead Engineer on the project, said: “This is a very exciting continuation to a project that has already given lots of real-world learning and experience in deploying automated vehicles in a public environment. WMG is looking forward to continuing to work with all the project partners to continue building on the foundation of the SCALE project, particularly around our focus areas of safety case and vehicle testing.”
Find out more about WMG's research in Connected and Cooperative Autonomous Systems (CCAS) by visiting its CCAS webpage.