Autonomous Vehicles in 2020? “Less hype, more progress” finds KPMG

Which countries and jurisdictions are most ready for autonomous vehicles? What does AV readiness look like? 

KPMG’s Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index — now in its third year — asks this question, evaluating how 30 regions are adopting driverless technology and preparing for the “ubiquity” of AVs. The index measures countries and jurisdictions across 28 indicators to determine their readiness and progress. Framing these indicators are four pillars: policy and legislation, technology and innovation, infrastructure, and consumer acceptance.

Which countries and jurisdictions are best prepared for #AVs and what does it mean to be ready? These questions power the KPMG 2020 #AutonomousVehicles Readiness Index. https://t.co/oEkkRBXxbz pic.twitter.com/5gQU1Vq174

— KPMG (@KPMG) July 8, 2020

Making up the top 5 regions best positioned to advance AV are:

1. Singapore
   • Expanded AV testing, covering all roads in Western Singapore.
   • Incentives to purchase EVs, plus an increase in charging points.
   • Leads the index in consumer acceptance, and policy and legislation pillars.
     
2. The Netherlands
   • Most EV charging stations per capita. 
   • Extensive AV testing, with 81% of people living near a testing site.
   • Increased its use of smart road furniture (eg. traffic lights).
     
3. Norway
   • Increased use of AVs, as several bus routes in Oslo are now driverless.
   • The majority of passenger vehicles bought in Norway in 2019 were battery or plug-in hybrids.
   • Testing of AVs in extreme weather.
     
4. United States
   • Second only to Israel on technology and innovation. (420 AV company headquarters)
   • American companies are leading the AV development pack. (eg. Apple, Google, GM, and Ford)
   • Detroit and Pittsburgh are included in the index’s ‘Cities to Watch’ section, for their work in introducing and promoting AVs.
     
5. Finland
   • Highest ratings for AV-specific regulations.
   • The country’s entire road network is open for AV trials.
   • Helsinki (a ‘City to Watch’) and Espoo both operate public AV bus services. 
   • Thanks to the legacy of Nokia, the country is home to top digital talent — specifically engineers.

#AutonomousVehicles are on the road to ubiquity. Are you ready? #AVs #infrastructure https://t.co/oEkkRBXxbz pic.twitter.com/9FBX9ZMk8c

— KPMG (@KPMG) August 5, 2020

Alongside Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Helsinki as ‘Cities to Watch’ are Beijing (investing $50M to develop a 100 square km AV testing zone ahead of the 2022 Olympics) and Seoul (working with Hyundai on widespread AV testing).

Additional insights include:

• Five countries were added to the index for 2020: Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Italy, and Taiwan.
• 17 of the 25 jurisdictions profiled in the 2019 AVRI increased their scores in 2020.
• Piloting and testing are expanding. Approximately two-thirds of the indexed regions have areas designated or approved for testing.

“We’ve just begun to see the transformational potential of AV technology,” explains Richard Threlfall, Global Head of Infrastructure for KPMG International. “Immense progress has been made on AVs operating more safely and effectively.”

Threlfall goes on to explain how COVID-19 and the resulting new ways of moving people and products, could expand the importance of AV. Crowded public transit, he suggests, “could be partially relieved by on-demand, autonomous minibusses to promote social distancing, while AVs for shipping can meet the demand for contactless delivery.”