Member Article

Award win for autonomous vehicle specialists RDM

Bringing driverless vehicles to the pavements of the UK has helped RDM Group beat off the challenge of tens of companies to secure one of the major Coventry Telegraph Business Awards.

The ambitious firm, which is on course to hit £10m sales this year, was named as the best Technology and Digital business in the region last week in front of over 300 guests at the Ricoh Arena.

Judges praised the specialist manufacturer for its role in designing and building the new ‘Lutz’ autonomous vehicles that will shortly be put into operation on the pathways of Milton Keynes.

The project – backed by the Transport Systems Catapult – has created six new jobs at the Bilton Industrial Estate firm and brings driverless vehicles to reality for the first time.

The electric powered pods can seat two people and will travel at a maximum speed of 12mph and boast a range of 40 miles.

David Keene, Chairman of RDM Group, was delighted with the award:

“Our work on Lutz has been putting Coventry on the global map for innovation and design so we are delighted to have been recognised for our efforts by our home City.

“The more we can shout about the manufacturing expertise we have in this area the better and we will use the award to reinforce this message when dealing with customers in the UK and across the world.”

He concluded: “It is also great for our staff. They have worked a lot of hours and gone over and above their job roles to ensure we are on course to meet our growth plans and, importantly, deliver the driverless vehicle pods to Milton Keynes on time.”

RDM Group has recently been announced as one of the consortium charged with delivering the £19.2m three-year ‘UK Autodrive’ programme, which will deliver a programme of feasibility studies and practical demonstrations of autonomous vehicles in Milton Keynes and Coventry.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .