Autonomous vehicles
An autonomous vehicle (AV) is a self-driving vehicle which requires little or no human direction, can sense its environment, typically navigates by satellite and detects objects in its path that it must avoid.
AVs are not just cars: they can also be trains, ships, trucks, drones, tractors, lunar vehicles and so on. They are typically equipped with computers, software and sensors which gather information about the external environment, and are connected to satellites.
For road vehicles, there are two main levels of automation:
- Fully autonomous, where the AV can complete journeys safely without a driver in normally-encountered traffic conditions, and
- Highly automated, where the vehicle can operate in driverless mode but must have a driver on-board to take control if necessary.
Today’s cars can commonly offer assisted driving, with automatic braking, cameras to monitor hazards, parking assistance and alarms to alert drivers when they have strayed from designated lanes.
When full autonomy occurs, autonomous cars may:
- Drive themselves from door-to-door without a driver, including in city and motorway conditions.
- Communicate through the Internet of Things with each other and the road infrastructure and so make decisions about optimal routes, internal temperature etc.
- Have no options for drivers to take control of vehicles.
One of the biggest questions around vehicle autonomy is, given the driver is not in control, who will be liable in the event of an accident? If the software goes wrong should the vehicle provider, software developer or the vehicle manufacturer be liable? Questions such as these are still being debated hotly by the industry.
And are current drivers competent enough to be in control of highly automated vehicles (HAVs)? A report by the House of Lords Science & Technology committee suggested that drivers with existing licences should be required to take a special driving test to ensure they can take back control in an autonomous car.
Research showed that driver responses in AV conditions are slower than when they are in full control of a vehicle, taking on average six times longer to respond to emergency braking situations. This could be, the report suggested, because drivers can become complacent under autonomous conditions.
AVs will potentially transform cities due to safer roads, fewer accidents, less congestion and smoother traffic flow, with extensive freeing-up of conventional parking space. They could also bring about changes in car ownership patterns and change the urban landscape.
[edit] Progress
In July 2019, the government launched a consultation on proposals to alter existing residential and non-residential buildings regulations to include electric vehicle infrastructure requirements. Ref https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/electric-vehicle-chargepoints-in-residential-and-non-residential-buildings
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Autonomous vehicles and insurance.
- Autonomous vehicles and the insurance market.
- Autonomous vehicles - do we trust them?
- Boosting electric vehicle use.
- Electric car charging stations - what you need to know.
- Electric vehicles.
- Electricity.
- Fuel.
- Fuel cells
- Hyperloop
- Key notes on electric car charging points.
- London car charging infrastructure.
- New style EV charging stations.
- Smart village trials autonomous shuttle and private mobile network.
- Zero-emissions vehicles.
Featured articles and news
The context, schemes, standards, roles and relevance of the Building Safety Act.
Retrofit 25 – What's Stopping Us?
Exhibition Opens at The Building Centre.
Types of work to existing buildings
A simple circular economy wiki breakdown with further links.
A threat to the creativity that makes London special.
How can digital twins boost profitability within construction?
The smart construction dashboard, as-built data and site changes forming an accurate digital twin.
Unlocking surplus public defence land and more to speed up the delivery of housing.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill
An outline of the bill with a mix of reactions on potential impacts from IHBC, CIEEM, CIC, ACE and EIC.
Farnborough College Unveils its Half-house for Sustainable Construction Training.
Spring Statement 2025 with reactions from industry
Confirming previously announced funding, and welfare changes amid adjusted growth forecast.
Scottish Government responds to Grenfell report
As fund for unsafe cladding assessments is launched.
CLC and BSR process map for HRB approvals
One of the initial outputs of their weekly BSR meetings.
Architects Academy at an insulation manufacturing facility
Programme of technical engagement for aspiring designers.
Building Safety Levy technical consultation response
Details of the planned levy now due in 2026.
Great British Energy install solar on school and NHS sites
200 schools and 200 NHS sites to get solar systems, as first project of the newly formed government initiative.
600 million for 60,000 more skilled construction workers
Announced by Treasury ahead of the Spring Statement.
The restoration of the novelist’s birthplace in Eastwood.
Life Critical Fire Safety External Wall System LCFS EWS
Breaking down what is meant by this now often used term.
PAC report on the Remediation of Dangerous Cladding
Recommendations on workforce, transparency, support, insurance, funding, fraud and mismanagement.
New towns, expanded settlements and housing delivery
Modular inquiry asks if new towns and expanded settlements are an effective means of delivering housing.