The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) chose the Low Carbon Vehicle Show earlier this month as the event to launch its new Future Mobility video, which showcases the diverse and well-established supply chain of companies in Automotive, Aerospace and Rail in the West Midlands. I was delighted to see the number of West Midlands businesses who had made the journey down to Millbrook to demonstrate their capabilities, including several of the companies highlighted in the CA’s video.
September will be a busy month for those interested in the future of mobility and transport, as it will see not just the Low Carbon Vehicle Show but also the West Midlands Growth Company’s own Commercial Partner event on 5G. As the UK’s first multi-city testbed, 5G is of great importance to the region and transport technologies is an industry that will prosper.
The region’s opportunity
The network is set to be as much as 100 times faster than 4G, with the most obvious and tangible benefit of the new network being the fast and reliable communication between intelligent vehicles. This communication is integrated into the vehicle to create high-tech systems, such as collision avoidance systems that can already be found in modern vehicles.
However, behind the scenes is just as important for data collection purposes. Tesla constantly collects data from its worldwide fleet every day, to enable them to analyse driver and vehicle behaviour on an unprecedented scale. With 5G, the capability of all manufacturers to upload this quantity of data will help to inform a much more efficient, driver-friendly and environmentally friendly transport network in the future.
Furthermore, using 5G, electric vehicles will be able to share route plans, location and battery status with electric vehicle charging stations, allowing for smart management of the stations to minimise waiting times and help the National Grid predict power usage.
Importance to the West Midlands
The automotive sector in the West Midlands is a key driver of the economy. With 38% of the UK’s automotive exports coming from the region, it is important we take advantage of the rise in transport technologies and ensure that we take a share of the forecasted £62 billion boost to the UK economy from the CAV industry.
If you wish to discuss how our future mobility offering can help us to attract investment in the future, please do get in touch here or by calling +44 (0) 121 202 5115.
Adam Titchen
Business Development Manager
September 2019