Enviro100AEV Bus wins “2025 Vehicle of the Year” at Self-Driving Industry Awards in Margate

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On Friday 24 September, the arrival of the third annual Self-Driving Industry Awards saw Margate seafront transformed into a futuristic showroom, displaying a selection of the autonomous projects in operation across the UK. Passers-by had the opportunity to experience some of the most forward-thinking technologies in autonomous transportation, from an autonomous bus to a self-driving delivery robot. The Self-Driving Industry awards celebrates excellence in automated mobility, providing accreditation to the innovative products shaping the future of autonomous transportation. Neil Kennett, editor of Carsofthefuture.co.uk, spoke on behalf of the judging panel, saying,

“As usual, our applicants nominated some fantastic people and products for the headline Awards. I’m delighted we could bring them together to give a perfect snapshot of self-driving in 2025 – a range of vehicles either already in service or soon to be, many of them designed and built right here in the UK.”

Awards were presented across 17 categories, from Software, Design and Research to Consumer Service and Best Fleet Operator. It was the Enviro100AEV which took home the coveted award for Vehicle of the Year for its commitment to safe and sustainable autonomous bus transportation. It was joined outside the Turner gallery by 2024’s winner in the same category, the Ohmio Shuttle, in a line-up of four autonomous transport solutions.

evolvAD Project LEAF by Nissan

The evolvAD Project LEAF by Nissan is a 100% electric vehicle designed for non-motorway environments in the UK

Winning the category Project of the Year was the evolvAD LEAF by Nissan, an autonomous vehicle designed to tackle the winding lanes of the British countryside. The LEAF is equipped with cutting edge AD technology, including cameras, radar and LiDAR sensors, alongside advanced “drive-by-wire” technology for precise control of steering and individual wheel braking. With these advanced autonomous technologies, the LEAF is able to effectively “see around corners”, making it the perfect fit to tackle the sharp bends of rural UK roads at high speeds. Speaking to MOVEmnt.net, Bob Bateman, Manager of Vehicle Research and Advanced Engineering at Nissan, said,

“We went to Japan and saw how these cars drove really well on wide roads in bright sunshine, and we thought how about taking it on a roundabout in Milton Keynes? If we can do it here, we can do it anywhere”.

The LEAF is optimized as a “last mile” transportation solution targeting the final stage of the consumer’s journey- i.e from the motorway to a rural home. With this in mind, the LEAF is working to make autonomous transportation truly accessible, targeting the, often overlooked, rural market and providing a service that connects communities outside urban centres.

Starship Technologies Autonomous Delivery Robot

The Starship Delivery Robot operates at Level 4 autonomy with human remote assistance on standby for complex scenarios

Also demonstrating its autonomous capabilities outside the Turner was the Starship Delivery Robot, which won the category for Best Fleet Operator. The lightweight delivery robot handles “last mile” delivery of hot food, groceries and industrial materials, and has already completed millions of autonomous deliveries across more than 60 university campuses and multiple cities globally. In the UK, Starship has already begun mass deployment across Milton Keynes. Senior Refurbishment Robot Technician at Starship Technologies, Julie Cheung, spoke to MOVEmnt.net about Starship’s potential to operate across multiple use cases, “We have pilots right now in Finland. Starship can operate in many different conditions- even in the snow.”

Ohmio LIFT Shuttle

The Ohmio LIFT shuttle uses advanced AI and deep machine learning for real-time navigation and obstacle avoidance

Joining the lineup was the Ohmio LIFT shuttle, last year’s Self-Driving Vehicle of the Year. This low-speed, autonomous electric shuttle, equipped with Level 4 autonomous capabilities, took home the 2025 award for Consumer Service. It is a key player in UK pilot projects, such as the SCALE (Solihull & Coventry Automated Links Evolution) project, demonstrating how autonomous shuttles can integrate with existing public transport networks. The Ohmio shuttle is operational in Birmingham, providing “first and last mile” solutions in business parks, university campuses and airports.

Alexander Dennis Enviro100AEV Bus

The winner of the Self-Driving Vehicle of the Year, was the Alexander Dennis Enviro100AEV Bus, an autonomous fully-electric bus designed for standard passenger routes. The Enviro100AEV is part of the UK government-funded Connector project in Cambridge, which aims to test autonomous buses on public roads, linking key hubs like park-and-ride sites.

The Enviro100AEV employs Fusion Processing’s CAVStar® Automated Drive System

In his acceptance speech, Head of Concepts & Advanced Engineering at Alexander Dennis, Jamie Wilson, spoke on the importance of safety and rigorous piloting. He said,

“It’s all about making sure the technology is safe. Safety is paramount. Buses are so important- they represent one of the only vehicles that is truly accessible. We want to make transportation that is cleaner, greener, more accessible and, importantly, safer.”

The Self-Driving Industry wards brought together agents from across the autonomous industry, championing the technologies and organizations contributing to the UK’s status as a global leader in autonomous transportation. Local MP for Milton Keynes and autonomous transportation advocate, Chris Curtis, commented on the need for robust education in the sector,

“We need to bring people along with us. We must ensure we continue the conversation and the education piece as we roll out autonomous technologies in the UK”.