Cutting-edge automated vehicle technology will be tested on rural roads in Victoria this year.
The first on-road trial approved under the new Automated Driving System (ADS) permit scheme sees Bosch awarded $2.3 million from the Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Trial Grants Program, acting premier Jacinta Allan says.
Last year, Victoria finalised regulations to support the ADS permit scheme, which authorises the use of automated vehicles for testing and development on its roads.
Bosch will start testing its automated vehicle tech on high-speed rural roads later in 2019 with the aim of using it to improve safety on rural Victorian roads – where drivers are five times as likely to be killed in a crash than in metropolitan areas.
Testing will be done on roads that expose the automated vehicle to a range of different conditions including traffic, weather and infrastructure.
The $9 million CAV program is funded through the Andrews Labor Government’s $1.4 billion Towards Zero Action Plan.
In late 2017, VicRoads called for expressions of interest from companies, industry bodies and other transport technology organisations to apply for funding to spur the development of these emerging technologies, aiming to lead to reduced deaths and serious injuries. Other successful applicants will be announced soon.
The trials will support Victoria’s readiness for CAV technologies and the knowledge gained will provide a better understanding of the infrastructure required to get these vehicles on the road.
