Funded by an investment of 25m euros from the European Commission, the project brings together carmakers including Volkswagen, Opel, PSA, Daimler, Fiat, BMW, Volvo, Renault and Ford along with technology firms such as Robert Bosch GmbH, Continental and Delphi Deutschland GmbH.

Over the planned 42-month duration of the project, the partners will develop and test new functionalities for cars and trucks, offering both partially automated and highly automated driving on motorways, in urban scenarios, and for close-distance manoeuvres. The focus of the project will be on achieving ideal cooperative interaction between the driver and the automated system by using advanced sensors, cooperative vehicle technologies and adaptive strategies in which the level of automation is dynamically adapted to the situation and driver status.

Seven cars and one truck will demonstrate various combinations of automated functions. In addition to addressing technology development aspects, the project will also explore legal implications for manufacturers and drivers – in particular regarding product liability and road traffic laws.

Commenting on the project, Professor Jürgen Leohold, executive director of Volkswagen Group Research, said: ‘This complex field of research will not only utilise onboard sensors, but also cooperative elements such as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. Therefore, I am glad that most European automotive companies are cooperating in this pre-competitive field to create new solutions for automated driving.’