Singapore has come up tops in Asia and second in the world behind the Netherlands to be ready to embrace autonomous vehicles (AVs) according to the 2019 Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index (AVRI).

The Index provides an in-depth view of what it takes for countries to meet the challenges of self-driving vehicles, evaluating the preparedness of a cross-section of 25 countries. Each country is evaluated against four pillars: policy and legislation; technology and innovation, infrastructure, and consumer acceptance.

The results of the 2019 AVRI reveal that Singapore ranks first worldwide in two pillars: policy and legislation as well as consumer acceptance, and is second only to the Netherlands in the area of infrastructure.

• With the opening of the Centre of Excellence for Testing & Research of Autonomous Vehicles at Nanyang Technological University (Cetran) in November 2017, second-ranked Singapore has created a test town for driverless vehicles complete with traffic lights, bus stops, skyscrapers and a rain machine to recreate its extremely wet, tropical weather.
• Singapore has also announced that Punggol, Tengah and the Jurong Innovation District will use driverless buses and shuttles for off-peak and on-demand commuting from 2022.

Mr. Satya Ramamurthy, Partner & Head of Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare at KPMG in Singapore said: “The 2019 AVRI clearly reflects that the ecosystem for AVs in Singapore is ready and very much aligned with how Singapore is establishing itself as a Smart Nation and centre for AV development with the deployment of a simulated test-bed and plans for driverless buses.

Mr. Ramamurthy adds, “The government has certainly been very proactive in thinking about the future of mobility. Along with the release of TR-68, a set of provisional national standards that guide the safe deployment of AV, Singapore is well-positioned to harness the societal and economic benefits of AV.”

Countries most ready for autonomous vehicles

According to the AVRI, the ten countries most prepared for the future of autonomous transportation of those indexed are:

Five new countries ranked in 2019

Based on the 2018 AVRI results, five new countries were added for 2019.

1. Norway (#3) – The country legalized AV testing on public roads and operators have started small-scale autonomous bus services. An autonomous taxi pilot is slated for 2019.
2. Finland (#6) – Finland is focusing on getting AVs to work in winter conditions and automated bus services. The country is also repainting the yellow lines on its roads to an AV-friendly white.
3. Israel (#14) – Israel’s strength in AVs lies in its export-focused technology sector, which helps the country top the index’s technology and innovation pillar as well as specific measures of industry partnerships, investment and headquarters.
4. Czech Republic (#19) – New AV test sites, supporting the country’s top rating for AV pilots, should build on Czech Republic’s reputation of local vehicle manufacturing.
5. Hungary (#21) – Legislative changes, commercial pilots of AVs at a new test track and an active AV startup community distinguished Hungary’s debut on the list.

Consumer opinion poll finds mixed feelings on AVs globally

New this year, KPMG conducted a consumer opinion research project to better understand consumer sentiment on AVs. The findings revealed a correlation between countries lower in the rankings having the most consumer interest in AVs. These countries include India (#24) and Mexico (#23).

Mr. Ramamurthy concluded: “The outlook for AV to take off in Singapore is highly positive as consumers here are way ahead of their global peers in their receptivity to AV. Heavy taxation on private cars also serve to drive adoption of AVs, giving the Singapore government a lot more room to fine-tune its policy. More recently, the government has also spearheaded Asia’s first model artificial intelligence (AI) governance framework which further strengths its regulatory readiness and oversight. The combination of these factors suggest that Singapore could eventually outpace other countries by 2020 if it continues to focus on technology and innovation to attract AV-related firms as well as build out its AV-related infrastructure.”

Full 2019 rankings reveal shifts from 2018

The 2019 AVRI rankings showed some movement from the inaugural rankings in 2018, with high-ranking newcomers among the five new entrants for 2019.

Learn more about the AVRI and how each country performed by accessing the report at kpmg.com/AVRI.