Driverless cars set to roam UK city centre from 2017

From 2015, an initial batch of 20 pods will be driver operated and will run on lanes separated from pedestrians around the Buckinghamshire town. By mid 2017, 100 fully autonomous pods are expected to be running on pathways alongside people. While the exact specification of the pods is yet to be finalised, a prototype image shows a vehicle with three wheels and a see-through lid that flips up for passengers to step in or out. The electric-powered pods, which will travel at 12mph, can be booked via a smartphone app and will be able to accommodate two passengers. Each journey is expected to cost £2. "By 2050, very few - if any - new cars will be powered solely by the traditional internal combustion engines, so it is important that the UK car industry is at the cutting edge of low carbon technologies," noted Cable. "Driverless cars are another invention that has the potential to generate the kind of high skilled jobs we want Britain to be famous for, as well as cutting congestion and pollution and improving road safety." Cable announced the £1.5million project during a visit to Northampton last week, where he also announced a £75m fund to produce and test low carbon engines. The latter initiative, he said, will help keep the UK at the forefront of engine design and secure around 300,000 jobs in engine production.