A ground-breaking Nissan-backed research project examining how autonomous vehicles can cut congestion, enhance road safety and provide more inclusive mobility solutions has won a sustainability award from Marie Claire UK.
ServCity was a consortium project supported by UK Government, that looked at how self-driving cars could be deployed in cities, and how future ‘robotaxi’ services could help benefit city residents and commuters.
It was named winner of the Eco City Travel category at the 2023 Marie Claire UK Sustainability Awards, which celebrate the leading brands, organisations and products that champion sustainability and strive to protect the planet.
The panel of judges, comprised of over 50 leading sustainability experts, included Marie Claire UK editors as well as representatives from variety of sectors, including charities, business, automotive, travel, climate-activism, environment and fashion.
Robert Bateman, Manager, Nissan Technical Centre Europe and Nissan Project Manager for ServCity said: “I’m delighted to receive this award on behalf of our talented group of engineers that helped develop a test vehicle which could safely and autonomously navigate the busy streets of London alongside other road users.
“ServCity represents an important step towards the future deployment of autonomous vehicles, which will improve access to mobility for underserved groups in society, such as elderly or disabled people, as well as people living in remote areas without links to public transport.”
Autonomous drive technology is a key pillar within Nissan Ambition 2030, a long-term vision which will see the company strive to create a cleaner, safer and more inclusive world.
The three-year research project, which was based at the Smart Mobility Living Lab in Greenwich and concluded in April 2023, also utilised existing roadside infrastructure to provide enhanced information to the car about its environment. This enabled it to see around corners, identify hazards in the road ahead that a human driver wouldn’t be able to, and make earlier decisions about lane changes that ultimately improved traffic flow.
Announcing the award win, the Marie Claire judges said: “With innovation, and a zero-carbon ambition being delivered rapidly and at scale, Nissan is showing that huge organisations can be nimble and transform the sustainability of their business.
“Nissan has a strong track record of sustainability innovation, particularly in the field of electric vehicles, but innovation alone is not enough and, vitally, Nissan is now implementing those innovations rapidly and at scale. As a result, it is making a really significant contribution to society’s drive to reduce emissions and protect our economy, our people and our planet.”
SOURCE: Nissan
