Europe’s first zero-occupancy self-driving vehicle journey on open road has been safely completed by Oxbotica and insured by Apollo Group, through its MGA, in partnership in the UK with Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe, as insurer. This marks not only a European first for Oxford and Toronto based Oxbotica, but also a first of its kind UK insurance solution created specifically for and tailored to the new and evolving risks associated with Level 4 autonomy* on open roads.
The insurance programme was created by Apollo ibott through its MGA, in partnership in the UK with insurer Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe, and arranged by Marsh. It is a landmark placement and significant milestone in the journey to create an insurance market for autonomous technology that will enable and bolster the development and deployment of this transformative technology.
Rebecca Marsden, underwriter at Apollo ibott, said: “The world is on the cusp of a once in a lifetime world-changing technology revolution, and Apollo through its ibott business, in partnership in the UK with Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe as insurer, is thrilled to have taken the first step with Oxbotica in ensuring universal autonomy reaches its full potential, enabled by innovative, comprehensive and flexible insurance solutions.”
“Insurance is fundamental to the advancement of Oxbotica’s trials; this latest exciting development signals growing market confidence in how AVs will revolutionise UK transport infrastructure,” said Sam Tiltman, sharing economy and mobility leader, UK & Ireland, Marsh.
The all-electric AppliedEV vehicle is operating in Oxford with no on-board driver, marking the next step in commercialising AV technology. Oxbotica will also now accelerate commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles globally. Working with partners such as ZF, bp and NEVS, the technology will enable autonomous passenger shuttles and industry-specific platforms across multiple domains; a truly universal autonomy.
Founded in 2014 by Paul Newman, Oxbotica’s full stack, end-to-end universal autonomy software (the Oxbotica Driver) is both vehicle and platform-agnostic, with no dependence on external infrastructure such as GPS. The Oxbotica Driver uses a combination of radar vision and laser-based sensors to provide the vehicle with a rich understanding of its surroundings, with multiple AI continuously checking and explaining decisions. This process is a foundational requirement for the safe deployment of zero-occupancy autonomous vehicles and underpins the development of innovative insurance solutions for the future of transportation.