Driverless car technology specialist RDM Group is opening its Asia-Pacific headquarters in South Australia, marking its expansion into the region.

The fully electric Pod Zero driverless vehicle was showcased at the World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems.

The UK-based business RDM Group has already been involved in developing the UK’s first driverless vehicles on public streets under the Lutz Pathfinder project.

The company’s fully electric Pod Zero driverless vehicle was also showcased at last year’s World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in Melbourne.

Now the company is branching into the Australian and Asian-Pacific markets, using its new office in Adelaide to provide purchasing, sales and technology support with plans to develop an assembly facility there to will supply vehicles direct to customers across the Asia-Pacific region.

RDM Group CEO David Keene commented: “There is massive demand for creating autonomous mobility solutions in Australia and we want to make sure our technology is at the forefront of any new developments.

“With this in mind, we feel the opportunity deserves a local presence and we are delighted to have taken a technical office at Flinders University, within the world class Tonsley Innovation District.

The announcement of the RDM branch in Adelaide coincides with the opening of the South Australian Government’s A$10mFuture Mobility Lab Fund, to boost local testing, research and development of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.