What’s Happening: The historic 1000 Miglia race in Italy will host the world’s first test of autonomous vehicles on public roads, a project dubbed 1000 Miglia Autonomous Drive. Developed by the Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with 1000 Miglia srl and the National Centre for Sustainable Mobility, a specially-designed Maserati MC20 Cielo will drive autonomously along select stretches of the 2023 race route from June 13-17.
Why It Matters: The initiative aims to advance Italy’s technical expertise in developing sustainable transportation and raise public awareness of autonomous vehicle technology. The project will also help define procedures for promoting the use and development of self-driving cars, forging connections between administrations and major Italian research centers.
Key Points:
- The autonomous Maserati will follow the Highway Code and be supervised by an experienced human co-driver, Matteo Marzotto, as required by the authorization for experimentation.
- The test will be accompanied by a modern art object developed at the Design Department of the Politecnico, which will be unveiled at the starting line.
- Aldo Bonomi, President of the Automobile Club of Brescia, and Beatrice Saottini, President of 1000 Miglia srl, have expressed strong support for the project, emphasizing its alignment with the innovation and progress that have characterized the race since 1927.
Bottom Line: The 1000 Miglia Autonomous Drive project marks a significant milestone in the development and public testing of autonomous vehicle technology. With the ambitious goal of driving the entire 1000 Miglia route autonomously by 2024, this project could pave the way for a revolution in sustainable mobility and help shape the future of transportation.
