DRIVERLESS cars could bring hundreds of thousands of new jobs to the UK, according to latest research commissioned by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Research has found the development of connected and autonomous vehicles will help generate 320,000 jobs and deliver huge benefits to society and the economy.
What’s the impact of driverless cars?
- Connected and autonomous cars to create 320,000 UK jobs and save thousands of lives;
- First in-depth forecast report concludes UK will be a key player in Europe in developing cars of future;
- SMMT kicks off first ever industry-wide showcase event and debate on connected and autonomous cars in the UK.
In the first ever comprehensive analysis of the UK opportunities provided by this new technology, KPMG has found that these new vehicles will deliver a £51Bn boost to the UK economy and reduce serious road traffic accidents by more than 25,000 a year by 2030.
Crucially, it also forecasts the UK will be a global leader in the production of this next generation of vehicles – driverless cars.
The figures will be announced at SMMTConnected (26 March 2015), the first ever industry-wide event in Britain to explore the opportunities and challenges ahead and demonstrate how the UK automotive sector is already developing the cars of the future.
Leading experts from BMW, Bosch, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Volvo will champion their efforts to develop tomorrow’s intelligent vehicles and discuss how society as a whole can benefit from this latest technology.
Transport minister Robert Goodwill MP and Ed Vaizey MP, minister for digital economy, will each provide keynote speeches at the event, which will be attended by 20 vehicle manufacturers from across the UK and more than 300 representatives from insurance providers, telecoms, academics, local government and software providers.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said:
