Self-Driving Cars Coming to the UK by 2015

Uploads%252fvideo uploaders%252fdistribution thumb%252fimage%252f17810%252fb102d566 dec5 4c85 b5da 3cb40e4a3772.jpg%252f930x520.jpg?signature=nup vh5kdtyprsn ylatyq2nrii=&source=https%3a%2f%2fblueprint api production.s3.amazonaws

Milton Keynes, a city north of London, England, will have 100 self-driving cars that take passengers from the train station to parks, shopping centers and more by 2015.

Their speed tops out at 12 miles per hour and cargo space is limited, according to Wired, but a ride only costs the equivalent of $3. Riders will be able to request a car through an app when the full rollout comes in 2017.

The fleet of automated vehicles comes as part of the city's $103 million infrastructure investment. The cars will be much like the self-driving pods common at London's Heathrow Airport.

The cars are electric and can be charged at various points along their routes. The initial idea is to give the pods their own lane and a joystick with which passengers can override the computer, according to The Daily Mail. Eventually, the cars may roam regular streets, moving around pedestrians and other vehicles with a combination of HD cameras, sensors and GPS.

While major companies such as Google, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are working on their own self-drivers, the Milton Keynes cars may be the first major rollout of autonomous vehicles.

Image: YouTube