For the first time, driverless cars will soon be
making their way through the streets of the U.K.
Slowly.
The electric powered "pods" can carry 2 people, and will
operate on designated pathways in the town of Milton
Keynes, north of London .
Twenty driver-operated pods will be tested by 2015,
before a fleet of 100 fully-automated vehicles are rolled
out two years later.
The pods will travel at about 12 miles per hour and use
sensors to avoid obstacles.
Similar vehicles have been operating at Heathrow
Airport, taking passengers between the terminal and car
park, since 2011.
It's the first time driverless cars will be used in a
pedestrianized area in the U.K.
The government said Friday it will provide £1.5 million
($2.4 million) to help fund the project, which involves
engineering firm Arup and the universities of Oxford and
Cambridge.
Related: Musk says Tesla is at work on autopilot
feature
Business Secretary Vince Cable said driverless cars
have the potential to "cut congestion and pollution and
improve road safety."
Carmakers are pouring money into self-driving vehicles
that boast safety and efficiency features.
Japanese giant Nissan ( ) said automated
cars could be rolling off its production lines by 2020 .
General Motors ( , Fortune 500), Toyota ( )
and Germany's Audi, part of Volkswagen ( ),
are also working on driverless vehicles.
Google ( , Fortune 500 ) too, wants a slice of
the action. The internet giant has been developing the
technology and testing its self-drive cars on public
roads for years.
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