CRANFIELD (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Nissan’s innovative autonomous driving project, evolvAD, has been awarded the “Collaborate to Innovate (C2i) Automotive Award 2025” by The Engineer. This accolade highlights the company’s role in reshaping the boundaries of innovation in today’s mobility landscape. Presented at the Civil Engineering Institute by sponsors from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), the award acknowledges the efforts of engineers at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) and consortium partners in addressing one of the automotive sector’s most significant challenges: making Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) reliable, safe, and ready for everyday use. This achievement also marks a significant step forward in strengthening the UK supply chain necessary for future commercial development. “Seeing a Nissan LEAF driving autonomously in both urban and rural conditions was a moment of great satisfaction, culminating in excellent engineering work. On behalf of the entire evolvAD team at Nissan and our partners, it is a privilege to receive this recognition from our industry colleagues. This project demonstrates the power of collaboration between industry, academia, and public institutions. EvolvAD not only accelerates the development of Nissan’s autonomous driving technology but also solidifies the UK’s position as a global hub for innovation in connected and autonomous vehicles,” stated Robert Bateman, evolvAD Project Manager and Manager of Nissan’s Research and Advanced Engineering team at Nissan Technical Centre Europe.
EvolvAD builds on the legacy of previous research projects, HumanDrive and ServCity, supported by Nissan, bringing autonomous mobility closer to reality as part of the company’s global vision for a safer, cleaner, and more inclusive world.
Developed by a consortium of five partners with Nissan as the technical leader, the project has been co-funded by both industry and the public sector. The government contribution comes from the Intelligent Mobility fund, amounting to £100 million, and is administered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and managed by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Second-generation, 100% electric Nissan LEAFs, equipped with advanced AD systems, were utilized, featuring a driver attentive to surrounding traffic but with hands off the wheel. Testing occurred in residential urban areas with narrow roads, as well as on rural roads with higher speeds, winding curves, and limited or absent road signage. The primary goal of the evolvAD research project is to integrate cross-functional skills such as vehicle engineering, digital infrastructures, communication, and safety to develop solutions applicable far beyond traditional test track boundaries. With a focus on mass deployment and enhancing the UK’s capabilities, the project aims not only to advance the field of autonomous driving but also to provide British suppliers with tools and insights to compete in a rapidly evolving global technology landscape.
Photo: press office Nissan Italy
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