Aviva, Darwin, and University of Salford Expand UK’s Longest-Running Self-Driving Shuttle Service

Aviva, Darwin, and University of Salford Expand UK’s Longest-Running Self-Driving Shuttle Service

(IN BRIEF) Aviva and Darwin Innovation Group, in collaboration with the University of Salford, have expanded the UK’s longest-running self-driving passenger service by adding a second autonomous shuttle to the fleet. Operating at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, the shuttles utilize advanced technology like LiDAR sensors and self-driving software to navigate routes autonomously. The partnership aims to explore how self-driving vehicles interact in real-world scenarios and advance autonomous transportation. Aviva, insuring both shuttles, utilizes data from the service to develop insurance products for autonomous vehicles, while Darwin focuses on refining the software for seamless autonomous operation. With the potential for on-demand passenger services, this initiative represents a significant step toward future mobility and insurance adaptation in the evolving transportation landscape.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 12-Mar-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — In late 2021, insurer Aviva and autonomous vehicle operator Darwin Innovation Group partnered to launch the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle, the longest-running self-driving passenger service in the UK. Now, after two years of operation, Aviva and Darwin have teamed up with the University of Salford to add a second self-driving shuttle to the service.

Like the original Darwin Autonomous Shuttle, the new shuttle has no driver and no steering wheel, instead using cameras, LiDAR sensors, 3D maps and self-driving software to navigate a route, stop for passengers and detect obstacles. The use of a second shuttle enables a greater understanding of how self-driving vehicles interact with each other in a real-world setting.

Both shuttles carry passengers around Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, in an ongoing project supported by the European Space Agency and UK Space Agency. However, through its collaboration with Darwin, the University of Salford hopes to learn more about autonomous vehicle operation, and ultimately to deploy self-driving vehicles in the Manchester area.

Aviva is insuring both shuttles. Since the launch of the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle in 2021, Darwin has shared data from the service with Aviva to enable a greater understanding of how connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) should be insured. The introduction of a second shuttle will enrich the data and further inform Aviva’s development of insurance products for autonomous vehicles.

Daniela Petrovic, the co-founder of Darwin, explained how introducing a second vehicle to the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle route also enables swifter advances in the CAV software used by both shuttles: “We are testing both vehicles all the time, and improvements in one are immediately deployed in the other.”

One of the aspects Darwin is testing is the ability of these autonomous vehicles to make journeys on demand. This feature lets passengers call the shuttle to pick them up from a specific stop on the vehicle’s route. On-demand passenger CAVs could be deployed more widely in the future, reducing dependence on individual cars in rural areas.

Tom Pitney, Head of Motor at Aviva, said: “The addition of a second shuttle to the autonomous vehicle trial marks an important milestone in our five-year partnership. This trial will give us access to a wealth of rich data, providing valuable insights into claims, underwriting, risk and product areas. This will enable us to be at the forefront of future mobility and ensure that we have products ready to insure the vehicles on our roads as they evolve and change.”

Daniela Petrovic, co-founder of Darwin, said: “As the transportation and insurance industries are interwoven, it’s important for insurers to develop as transport evolves. With the expertise we’ve developed through over two years of autonomous vehicle operation, we’re working closely with Aviva to help make widespread autonomous transport a practical reality.”

Notes to editors:

• We are the UK’s leading diversified insurer and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India, China and Singapore.
• We help our 19.2 million (as at 31 December 2023) customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
• We have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2023, we paid £25.6 billion in claims and benefits to our customers.
• In 2021, we announced our ambition to become Net Zero by 2040, the first major insurance company in the world to do so. We are aiming to have Net Zero carbon emissions from Aviva’s operations and supply chain by 2030. While we are working towards our sustainability ambitions, we recognise that while we have control over Aviva’s operations and influence on our supply chain, when it comes to decarbonising the economy in which we operate and invest, Aviva is one part of a far larger global ecosystem. There are also limits to our ability to influence other organisations and governments. Nevertheless, we remain focused on the task and are committed to playing our part in the collective effort to enable the global transition. Find out more about our climate goals at www.aviva.com/climate-goals and our sustainability ambition and action at www.aviva.com/sustainability
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Media Contact:

Claire Jermany
General Insurance⁠ — Commercial Lines, Community, Heritage
Phone: +44 (0) 7385 148 681
Email: claire.jermany@aviva.com

SOURCE: AVIVA