A Nissan-led project has brought autonomous driving “one step closer to reality” in the UK, with specially equipped EVs trialled for the first time on the country’s residential and single-track rural roads.

Part-funded by the government’s £100m Intelligent Mobility fund, the EvolvAD scheme was part of a wider project to ready the country for autonomous vehicles (AVs).

Its aim was to assess if a fleet of self-driving Nissan Leaf cars could be used outside of cities and in less connected areas, utilising infrastructure such as CCTV in residential areas to improve situational awareness – known as vehicle-to-infrastructure.

The project’s aim was also to explore what types of tech would be needed for AVs to take on more complex rural roads.

EvolvAD was the final piece of an eight-year project also including the HumanDrive and ServCity schemes, which were undertaken in more built-up areas of the country in a bid to help cities deliver robotaxi services.

The full results will be revealed soon, Nissan said, but its R&D boss, David Moss, has already proclaimed the project “tremendously successful”.

Moss previously said that autonomous driving was a key pillar of the Nissan Ambition 2030 strategy, adding: “Autonomous drive technologies are critical, as they offer huge benefits in terms of vehicle safety, environmental impact and accessibility.”

Across the eight years, 16,000 miles were driven by the Leafs across motorways, town centres, residential streets and countryside lanes with no accidents recorded.

Industry minister Sarah Jones MP said: "The UK is home to a world-class automotive sector, and I'm pleased this project has brought autonomous vehicles one step closer to reality.

"Our Industrial Strategy will strengthen this industry, bringing growth, jobs and opportunities to every part of the UK."

The focus for Nissan now turns to getting UK cities ready for AVs, said EvolvAD project lead Robert Bateman.

"We need to develop a 360-degree understanding of infrastructure and regulatory needs across the country," he said, "and provide critical insights to policy makers and urban planners to ensure a successful introduction of autonomous mobility services in the right way and at the right time."