25-03-2025
Futuristic autonomous shuttles operating for West Midlands passengers - all you need to know
Solihull's new self-driving shuttles are now in operation - but passengers face a wait for the full route to go live as it is being rolled out in phases.
The cube-like driverless buses will eventually operate a 7km route along key destinations in the borough and stops will include the bp pulse LIVE Arena, Birmingham International rail station and Birmingham Business Park.
The route is going live in phases, Solihull Council has confirmed, which means that full route will only be available from the summer.
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However, the NEC portion of the shuttle route is now live and is shuttling visitors around for "busy events", council bosses confirmed.
The fleet of autonomous buses will eventually operate a seven kilometre-route, a little over four miles, in Solihull.
Solihull Council said the Solihull and Coventry Automated Links Evolution (SCALE) project had been established to better understand how self-driving vehicles might feature within future transport systems.
The first phase of the route, linking bp pulse LIVE Arena to the VIP & blue badge parking area, was launched on March 19 during an international trade delegation visit.
Currently, the trial service is now open for passengers visiting upcoming major events at the NEC including the Commercial Vehicle Show.
The first phase of the shuttle route at the NEC is live until April 7, but will be extended in further sections to link passengers from Birmingham International rail station to the NEC and Birmingham Business Park by the summer.
The accessible fully electric shuttles being used have been built by New Zealand based autonomous vehicle manufacturer Ohmio, represented in the UK by Ohmio UK, and can carry up to 14 passengers.
Shuttles have cameras and sensors to understand their surroundings, allowing them to interact with live traffic and move around safely.
Each journey will also be tracked in real time from TfWM's control centre on Summer Lane.
The project is being delivered by a consortium led by Solihull Council, including both WMG at the University of Warwick and Coventry University, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the NEC, Coventry City Council and automated vehicle simulation specialists IPG and dRISK.
Cllr Andy Mackiewicz, cabinet member for climate change and planning, said: "Connected Automated Mobility (CAM) technology has the potential to revolutionise the way we get around.
"We are excited to be leading the way, not just in Solihull, but regionally and across the country, in providing learning on CAM deployments in different settings and scenarios.'
'Taking place across one of the best-connected destinations in the UK and Europe, this new Solihull-based route will join up three key assets within the UK Central Hub area, operating in a busy but controlled environment and gaining further real-world operating experience.
'As part of our continuous learning, colleagues at TfWM will be conducting a series of passenger surveys to better understand attitudes around this technology and potential barriers.
"I'd encourage anyone who is interested in helping to shape the future of automated transport to check the next development dates and take a ride for themselves."
