A new test track in Oxfordshire will let self-driving cars navigate fake pedestrians, dodgy satellite signals, and sudden roadworks—all without risking real lives. This matters because autonomous vehicles need to prove they can handle the chaos of real streets before they are let loose on public roads. Current test sites are either fully controlled proving grounds or open roads with no safety net. The Millbrook-Culham Test and Evaluation Environment (MCTEE) bridges that gap, offering a semi-controlled urban setting where developers can safely stress-test vehicles against unpredictable obstacles, poor connectivity, and cyber attacks. If successful, the facility will give any developer—from global carmakers to tiny startups—affordable access to instrumented roads, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, and 5G networks. This could accelerate the validation of software, sensors, and security systems, helping the UK stay competitive in the race to deploy safe autonomous transport. The consortium will also coordinate with other UK test beds to avoid duplication and share infrastructure, making the national testing network more coherent.
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Addressing the critical need for a semi-controlled but realistic urban test environment for CAV, that seamlessly connects with other CAV test functions and open road urban environments, this proposal between Millbrook and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's centre for Remote Applications for Challenging Environments (RACE) seeks to realise the joined-up Millbrook-Culham Test and Evaluation Environment (MCTEE). Based on a step change enhancement to their existing road networks and CAV test capability via: 1) upgraded instrumented roads to capture complexity of real urban contexts; 2) infrastructure – most notably around V2I, V2V and V2X connectivity and integrated transport; and 3) external obstacles, the proposed facility will revolutionise preparation and validation of CAVs, services and (sub)system-level technologies for real-world deployment on public roads. Going far beyond a facility for vehicle manufacturers, MCTEE will give open access to all users – from global OEMs and SMEs to start-ups at all levels of autonomy and readiness – specifically targeting developers of software, sensors, roadside units, telecommunications (5G), cyber security systems etc., catalysing wider benefits from the world class capability that will emerge from the CCAV process. The consortium is committed to working closely with the CAV Hub (CCAV) and other test bed nodes to leverage all benefits of commonality across technology, infrastructure, operations and customers within the UK CAV test bed to explore public, industry and stakeholder impacts of CAV and enable UK leadership.
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