House of Commons Transport Committee Motoring of the future Eighth Report of Session 2014–15 Report, together with formal minutes relating to the report Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 23 February 2015 HC 429 Published on 6 March 2015 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £11.00 The Transport Committee The Transport Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Transport and its Associate Public Bodies. Current membership Mrs Louise Ellman (Labour/Co-operative, Liverpool Riverside) (Chair) Sarah Champion (Labour, Rotherham) Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour, Poplar and Limehouse) Mr Tom Harris (Labour, Glasgow South) Karen Lumley (Conservative, Redditch) Jason McCartney (Conservative, Colne Valley) Karl McCartney (Conservative, Lincoln) Mr Adrian Sanders (Liberal Democrat, Torbay) Chloe Smith (Conservative, Norwich North) Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton) Martin Vickers (Conservative, Cleethorpes) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk. Publication The Reports of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/transcom. A list of Reports of the Committee in the present Parliament is at the back of this volume. The Reports of the Committee and the formal minutes relating to that report are available in a printed volume. Written evidence is published on the internet only. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Gordon Clarke (Clerk), Nick Beech (Second Clerk), Alexandra Meakin (Committee Specialist), Adrian Hitchins (Senior Committee Assistant), Stewart McIlvenna (Committee Assistant), and Hannah Pearce (Media Officer) Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Transport Committee, House of Commons, 14 Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NB, The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 3266; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] Motoring of the future 1 Contents Report Page Summary 3 1 Introduction 5 Inquiry 6 2 Planning for change 7 Vision and strategy 7 3 Advances in technology 11 Safety 11 Autonomous and connected vehicles 13 Telematics 15 Big data 16 Data governance 17 Low carbon vehicles and fuels 18 Plug-in electric vehicles 18 Fuel cell electric vehicles 19 Promoting a range of low carbon solutions 20 Rate of adoption of low carbon fuels and vehicles 21 Role of OLEV 22 4 Managing change 24 Public confidence 24 Regulatory framework 24 Research and trials 26 Driver training 28 International standard setting 28 eCall 29 Other barriers to adoption 30 5 Conclusion 31 Conclusions and recommendations 32 Formal Minutes 36 Witnesses 37 Published written evidence 38 List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament 40 Motoring of the future 3 Summary Motoring is being transformed by new materials, new fuels and information technology. However, the Government must act if people and businesses in the UK are to obtain the full benefit of this ongoing automotive revolution. We found that the Department for Transport (DfT) is yet to set out a comprehensive strategy to link the introduction of new automotive technology to the achievement of its policy goals. It should develop a comprehensive vision to shape motoring of the future in partnership with other Government Departments and agencies. This strategy needs to set out a co-ordinated set of actions to: • reduce or eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on the roads; • cut emissions from road transport; • increase road capacity; • facilitate social inclusion and accessibility of road transport; and • support economic growth. We welcome the publication of the DfT’s regulatory review, The pathway to driverless cars. However, the DfT must set out the detail on how it will reform legislation and regulation to support that review. For example, manual, semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles may well be running together on UK roads in the near future. The DfT must provide certainty for the public and for the automotive industry by explaining how vehicles will be certified and tested, how drivers will be trained and how driving standards will be regulated, monitored and enforced. It must also consider the issue of liability. The application of new technology to motoring represents a one-off commercial opening for the UK automotive industry. We therefore welcome the leadership shown by Innovate UK in facilitating the ongoing trials of driverless cars in Greenwich, Bristol and Milton Keynes/Coventry. Looking beyond the domestic market, however, the Government must engage more positively in setting European and international standards to allow UK manufacturers to develop products that are suitable for export. This is a once-in-a-lifetime commercial opportunity, and UK industry needs the Government’s help to seize it. Motoring of the future 5 1 Introduction 1. Advances in fuels, materials and information technology are revolutionising motoring. The Economist described the application of such new technologies to vehicles as most significant development in automotive transport since Henry Ford and his engineers turned the car into a mass-market item in 1913.1 Self-parking cars that read traffic signs, that maintain a safe distance from the car in front and that brake automatically are already on sale in the UK. Google is developing cars which drive themselves to a selected destination without a human driver.2 New technology is being applied to infrastructure as well as to vehicles. For example, a digitised toll system was introduced on the Dartford crossing in November 2014,3 and the Highways Agency is planning to test a Scalextric-style system on a stretch of motorway to recharge electric cars on the move.4 2. In the future, we are likely to see vehicles that are increasingly autonomous, combine technologies to improve fuel efficiency and make driving safer. It is inevitable that such new technologies will transform motoring, although it is impossible to predict exactly when they will reach the mass market. Addressing such uncertainty around when new technology will be introduced is a major challenge for government. Changes in vehicles will be complemented by alterations in the infrastructure around roads to enable vehicle- to-vehicle communications and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. The future will offer a mix of those different technologies, and they will become available at differing times. 3. Societal attitudes to motoring are also changing. Gerry Keaney, Chief Executive Officer, British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), stated that “Every demographic study you read about young people living in the major cities shows that they are increasingly less motivated to learn to drive. They are less motivated to take their driving test and, where they do learn to drive, they are less interested in owning a vehicle.”5 Such changing attitudes are reflected in the increased popularity of car sharing schemes.6 4. Changes in technology may mean that vehicle ownership carries new obligations in the future beyond ensuring roadworthiness. That might entail, for example, ensuring that the latest software updates have been applied to a vehicle. As vehicles takeover an increasing number of tasks from drivers, the question of liability in the event of an accident will become much more complicated. Will the driver of a vehicle remain liable even if a car is operating autonomously, or will the manufacturer of the vehicle bear some responsibility? Depending on how liabilities are apportioned, such technological changes might lead to different models of ownership and a different relationship between manufacturers, owners 1 The Economist, The future of the car: clean, safe and it drives itself, 20 April 2013 2 Innovate UK, Driverless cars: 4 cities get green light for everyday trials, 3 December 2014 3 Highways Agency, Find out about the new Dart Charge scheme, 19 September 2014 4 Highways Agency, Preparing the strategic road network for electric vehicles, 2014 5 Q88 6 Q88 6 Motoring of the future and drivers. The role of the insurance sector may also change. Some traditional manufacturers may be displaced as new manufacturers enter the market.7 5. New technologies can make a major contribution to reducing fatalities and serious injuries, cutting emissions and improving traffic flows. Potential benefits include: • improved fuel efficiency • safer roads for all road users (drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians) • reduced congestion • decreased pollution • improved traffic flows • improved mobility for elderly and disabled people • more comprehensive data for insurers, policymakers and traffic managers • commercial opportunities for UK business. Inquiry 6. We decided to hold an inquiry to examine Government support for the development of new automotive technologies and the action the Department for Transport (DfT) is taking to set standards, shape markets and influence consumer choices, so that the potential benefits identified in paragraph 5 can be realised. We issued a call for evidence on 18 June 2014 and invited comments on developments in technology and the Government’s role in supporting such developments. We held four oral evidence sessions in October