1 | Self-Driving Pilots Fast-Tracked: What It Means for CAM Developers and How to Engage

The UK Government has announced a significant acceleration in the development of legislation to support commercial self-driving vehicle pilots. From spring 2026, government intends for commercial pilots of self-driving taxi-like, and bus-like services (Automated Passenger Services) without a  safety driver to be legally permitted on public roads. This shift comes as part of the implementation of the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act 2024, allowing early pilots to proceed ahead of what is anticipated to be a larger rollout when the full regulations are delivered in 2027. A consultation on Automated Passenger Services will launch in Summer 2025.

This update is accompanied by two public consultations, now open, which offer organisations a time-limited opportunity to shape how safety and public communications are regulated under the new regime.

At Zenzic, we want to ensure that companies across the CAM ecosystem understand the significance of these changes and know how to engage effectively—individually and directly—with the government’s consultation process.

2 | Legal Timeline: What’s Changing and What Isn’t

The Automated Vehicles Act gives legal power to authorise and regulate self-driving vehicle operation in GB. The latest government announcement does not change the long-term structure of the rollout—but it brings forward the opportunity to trial these services under real-world conditions.

2.1      What’s changing:

• Automated Passenger Services regulations will be accelerated to spring – Spring 2026, rather than 2027.
• These regulations will support the piloting of certain types of commercial self-driving vehicles. These pilots must meet strict safety, insurance, and oversight standards, defined through new secondary legislation and guidance.
• Operators must demonstrate that their systems are as safe as—or safer than—a careful and competent human driver.
• A consultation on the proposed Automated Passenger Services regulations will be launched in Summer 2025.

2.2      What’s staying the same:

• The full legislative framework, including the remaining secondary legislation to support widespread commercialisation, is still expected to come into force in 2027, as originally planned.
• These future measures will the implementation of other aspects of the Automated Vehicles Act, such as authorisation, in-use regulation and incident investigation.

In short: Spring 2026 is the start of a closely monitored, safety-led pilot phase, designed to generate real-world learning ahead of broader deployment.

3 | CCAV’s Consultations: What They Cover

To support the ongoing implementation of the AV Act 2024, CCAV has launched two consultations. These will inform how the legal framework is shaped in advance of the 2026 pilots and beyond.

3.1      Statement of Safety Principles

This call for evidence outlines how the government proposes to interpret and apply the requirement for AVs to be “as safe as a competent and careful human driver”, and that self-driving vehicles will improve road safety.

It sets the foundation for:

• Approval and authorisation processes,
• In-use safety regulation, and
• Ongoing performance reporting.

Within this, the government has set out that they are seeking to understand how:

• The safety principles may be used,
• The safety standard may be described,
• Safety performance could be measured.

Deadline: 1 September 2025
Automated vehicles: statement of safety principles – GOV.UK

3.2      Use of Marketing Terms for Self-Driving

The second consultation proposes safeguards for the use of terms like “autonomous,” “self-driving,” and “driverless” in GB advertising and communications.

The goal is to ensure:

• Clear distinctions between assisted and automated systems,
• Avoidance of misleading terminology, and
• Greater public understanding and trust.

Deadline: 1 September 2025
Automated vehicles: protecting marketing terms – GOV.UK

4 | Assets to Support Your Response

Zenzic is here to help organisations navigate and respond to these consultations effectively.

4.1      Insights Reports

We have produced several insights reports that can help you to understand the evolving CAM landscape both in the UK and abroad. If you have any questions, reach out to us on the email below.

UK CAM Roadmap to 2035
CAM Roadmap – Zenzic

UK CAM Supply Chain report
UK CAM Supply Chain – Zenzic

Opportunities to Scale
Strategic Research – Zenzic

Contact us: info@zenzic.io

4.2      What to do now

5 | Final Thoughts

The UK is preparing for a step-change in the deployment of connected and automated mobility. These consultations represent a critical opportunity to ensure that the regulatory framework reflects the realities, challenges, and innovations of industry and academia.

For Zenzic, this is about supporting informed, high-quality engagement. If you’re working in testing, software, simulation, infrastructure, policy or comms—your insight is vital.

The faster timeline for pilots does not reduce the importance of due diligence. If anything, it raises the stakes. Let’s work together to make sure those shaping the future of mobility have the right tools, information and opportunities to help do so.