The Netherlands is globally the best prepared for the advent of the self-driving car. The Netherlands owes this high position mainly to the presence of a well-maintained road network, the quality of its digital infrastructure and a government policy that enables the large-scale testing of self-driving cars and trucks.
This is according to the KPMG Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index 2018, a study on the conditions for large-scale transport with the self-driving car. For the study, 20 countries worldwide were assessed in terms of government policy and legislation, quality of infrastructure, degree of presence of new technology in society and consumer acceptance. The Netherlands is followed in the rankings by Singapore, the United States and Sweden.
Leading with technology and innovation
'Our country scores well not only when it comes to developing policy and legislation to enable the arrival of such a vehicle,' says Loek Kramer, partner at KPMG and segment leader Automotive. 'When it comes to technology and innovation, the Netherlands is also doing well. Our country has a large number of R&D centres and industry partnerships compared to other countries, as well as a finely-meshed network of electric car charging stations. The latter is a good indicator of a society's willingness to keep its infrastructure up to date. Self-driving vehicles are not only going to radically change the mode of transport, but also the way people live and work worldwide.'
Challenges
In addition to the considerable opportunities, the arrival of the self-driving car also creates considerable challenges to which an answer must be found in order to make use of all the advantages of the vehicle. Kramer: 'Cars must be able to communicate with each other, with the road design, such as traffic lights and signs, and with other traffic participants, such as cyclists and pedestrians. This is where there are great opportunities for Dutch automotive suppliers. Public-private partnerships will further accelerate the development of our current expertise and innovation capacity.
Good examples are the Automotive High Tech Campus in Eindhoven and Eindhoven University of Technology, which has a specific faculty for Smart Mobility. The cooperation between provinces and manufacturers involving testing of smart trucks, such as at Schiphol Airport, also plays into our hands.'
Not automatically
Although the Netherlands is well positioned, a large-scale introduction of the self-driving car will not happen by itself. Previous KPMG research shows that the average Dutchman is still reluctant when it comes to the self-driving car. Only a third of Dutch people are enthusiastic about the arrival of self-driving cars. Over half want to stay at the wheel themselves. Over 10% say they have no preference.
In particular, the Dutch have doubts about the self-driving car's choices in traffic and who will be liable if the vehicle causes an accident in traffic. 'If self-driving cars were to demonstrably cause fewer road casualties, however, the rudder will change dramatically. Then half of the Dutch people surveyed would say they would opt for a self-driving car.'
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: KPMG
