Aviva and Darwin Expand Autonomous Vehicle Insurance Project
Aviva and Darwin Innovation Group are expanding their autonomous vehicle insurance project. They’ve teamed up with the University of Salford to add an additional self-driving shuttle to their existing service.
This collaboration marks an important phase in the project, which started in late 2021 with the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle – the longest-running self-driving passenger service in the UK.
Like the initial shuttle, this new addition is driverless. It relies on cameras, LiDAR sensors, 3D maps, and self-driving software to navigate its pre-set routes, stop for passengers, and avoid obstacles.
The main goal of introducing a second shuttle is to gather more data on how autonomous vehicles interact with each other in real-world conditions.
Both shuttles are operating at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. This project has backing from both the European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency.
Through its partnership with Darwin, the University of Salford is keen to learn more about how autonomous vehicles operate. The goal is to potentially deploy these vehicles in the Manchester area.
Aviva continues to provide insurance coverage for both shuttles.
Since the launch of the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle in 2021, Darwin has been providing Aviva with operational data. This data is used to inform Aviva’s development of insurance products designed for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).
The addition of a second shuttle will enhance the data pool, giving Aviva more insights for its autonomous vehicle insurance offerings.
Darwin is testing the ability of the shuttles for on-demand journeys. Passengers can request a shuttle to pick them up at specific stops along the route.
On-demand CAVs could become more common in the future, particularly in rural areas, reducing the reliance on individual cars.
Tom Pitney, Head of Motor at Aviva, stated that the new shuttle is a significant step in their five-year partnership, providing them with valuable information on claims, underwriting, and product development. He further indicated that this would enable them to be at the forefront of future mobility and to have products ready to insure evolving vehicles.
Daniela Petrovic, co-founder of Darwin, noted that the close collaboration between Darwin and Aviva is essential as the transportation and insurance sectors intersect. They hope to make widespread autonomous transport a practical reality.
