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PARTNERSHIP STUDY areas (MSAs), across the strategic road network, the journeys EV drivers are likely to take, and how close they would need to be to an ultra- rapid charger to overcome consumer range anxiety. Adds Cooper: "We have also assessed the electricity network infrastructure required to sup- port enough ultra-rapid charge points to provide con‚ dence to EV drivers and avoid queues at peak times.ƒIt is evident that under any likely scenario of EV uptake, due to existing power constraints, most MSAs will require a reinforced power connection before 2030 to allow for the additional numbers of charge points required to meet consumer charging demand."ƒ ƒ National Grid have identi- ‚ ed an initial 54 ultra-rapid EV charging sites along the NETWORK / 22 / MAY 2019 "This would provide drivers with the ability to charge their vehicle in the time it takes to buy a cup of co' ee," comments Cooper. Tonkin acknowledges that there are challenges around im- Achieving connectivity Rich Porter, director of technology and innovation at Meridian, talks about the infrastructure necessary to support self- driving vehicles. Britain's roads are the safest in Europe, and yet 165,100 pedestrians and vehicle occupants were still injured in some way in accidents in 2018. We are working to get connected and self-driving vehicles on our roads at scale by 2030, because such technology, among many other benefi ts, shows a realistic route to achieving the government's aim of reducing the number of accidents on our roads to zero. The technological advances which underpin this improvement in safety are advanced communications and automated driving systems. Currently vehicles on our roads are not able to communicate with each other or with roadside infrastructure, relying on the person at the wheel to handle all interactions. Anyone who has used an internet-connected navigation system such as Google Maps or Waze will have experienced how much quicker journeys can be when traffi c information is readily available. By developing vehicle- to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications networks, systems can be introduced to reduce congestion and ensure vehicles are aware of others around them, making crashes less likely. The fi rst step towards this future is deploying roadside infrastructure necessary for these technologies, with each type of road requiring slightly different solutions. Motorways will need to focus on high capacity and very low latency systems which are able to connect vehicles as they drive by at 70mph. Urban roads will require traffi c lights, railway crossings and other roadside architecture to be connected and able to share information with vehicles locally. Finally, in rural areas wireless networks will support fewer vehicles at a time, but in these locations such innovations are the most necessary as the majority of road accidents happen on rural roads. The connected and self-driving ecosystem is still in the early stages of its development, both in terms of vehicles and their connected systems. The importance of the testing which is currently underway in the UK cannot be understated. Leading the charge in developing connectivity are testbed UK facilities. Millbrook completed the fi rst motorway speed 5G tests, Midlands Future Mobility which is preparing 60km of roads in urban and rural areas for testing and CAVWAY which is setting up a fl exible testbed to mimic various motorway entrances, exits and junctions. In London, Europe's only megacity, Smart Mobility Living Lab has already completed a trial of driverless vehicles running along the Thames in Greenwich. The testbeds allow companies to develop and test their technologies in a controlled way to ensure they are safe and connected before they are deployed. These specifi c projects will provide vital information on the strengths and weaknesses of today's technology, and what the areas of focus will need to be to roll-out connected and self-driving vehicles as soon and safely as possible. We are working with industry, government and academia, to create an industry wide roadmap. The UK Connected and Automated Mobility Roadmap details developments from the present day to 2030. It presents a single vision that shows dependencies, focuses on investment and articulates the path to scale capabilities and technologies. Although vehicles themselves gain much press coverage, the underlying infrastructure will be key to delivering the next level of safety on British roads. strategic road network, where an upgraded electricity network connection would allow 99 per cent of EV drivers in England and Wales to be within 50 miles (in any direction) of an ultra- rapid charging hub. "We believe that for the UK to achieve large scale uptake of electric vehicles there is a need to ensure a widespread network of appropriate charging points." charging points."