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Coventry Named UK’s Most Self-Driving Car-Ready City, New Study Finds
28 Sept 2026
New research from Accu ranks Coventry first for autonomous vehicle readiness, ahead of London and Sunderland, based on EV infrastructure, 5G coverage, CAM testing facilities, engineering capacity and taxi networks.
25 September 2026 — Coventry has been named the UK city most prepared for the next generation of self-driving vehicles, according to new research from precision engineering company Accu.
The study analysed the UK’s most populous cities across several factors linked to connected and autonomous mobility, including electric vehicle infrastructure, 5G connectivity, Connected and Automated Mobility testing facilities, engineering businesses and taxi and private-hire networks.
Each factor was converted into a score, with cities receiving an overall readiness rating out of 100. Coventry placed first with a perfect 100.0, followed by Greater London at 82.7, Sunderland at 81.58, Aberdeen at 80.74 and Wolverhampton at 75.61.
The findings arrive as autonomous mobility moves closer to real-world deployment in the UK and cities begin to consider how roads, connectivity and transport services may need to adapt.
Coventry leads on EV and 5G infrastructure
Coventry’s first-place position was driven by strong performance across several categories.
The city recorded 2,644 public EV chargers, equivalent to 71.65 chargers per 10,000 people, the highest rate among the cities analysed. That gave Coventry a perfect score for EV infrastructure.
The city also recorded 100% 5G coverage and has a recognised Connected and Automated Mobility testbed, giving it top scores for both digital connectivity and autonomous vehicle testing.
Coventry’s engineering base also contributed to its ranking. The study identified 410 relevant engineering businesses, equivalent to 11.11 per 10,000 residents.
Its weakest category was taxi and private-hire infrastructure, with 731 registered vehicles, or 19.8 per 10,000 people. Even so, the city’s overall combination of charging, connectivity, testing and technical capability placed it comfortably at the top of the ranking.
London places second
Greater London ranked second with an overall readiness score of 82.7 out of 100.
The capital has by far the largest absolute EV charging network in the study, with 30,870 public chargers, equivalent to 33.74 chargers per 10,000 residents.
London also recorded 100% 5G coverage and has a recognised CAM testbed, giving it maximum scores for both connectivity and testing infrastructure.
The study identified 13,425 relevant engineering businesses in Greater London, or 14.67 per 10,000 people. The capital also has a large existing taxi and private-hire ecosystem, with 107,029 registered vehicles, equivalent to 117 per 10,000 residents.
That combination makes London one of the strongest candidates for autonomous mobility deployment at scale, although its size and population density create a different set of challenges compared with smaller cities.
Sunderland takes third place
Sunderland ranked third with a score of 81.58.
Like Coventry and London, the city recorded 100% 5G coverage and has a recognised CAM testbed, giving it perfect scores in both categories.
The study counted 554 public EV chargers, equivalent to 19.20 per 10,000 residents, while 245 relevant engineering businesses gave the city an engineering rate of 8.49 per 10,000 people.
Sunderland also recorded 824 taxis and private-hire vehicles, or 28.6 per 10,000 residents.
The city’s strong digital infrastructure and autonomous mobility testing capacity helped it outperform larger urban areas in the overall ranking.
Aberdeen has the strongest engineering ecosystem
Aberdeen ranked fourth overall with a score of 80.74, but led the entire study for engineering capacity.
The research identified 1,255 relevant engineering businesses in the city, equivalent to 54.15 businesses per 10,000 residents.
That was the highest engineering-business density in the ranking and gave Aberdeen a perfect engineering score.
The city also recorded 99.85% 5G coverage and 19.20 EV chargers per 10,000 residents. However, unlike Coventry, London and Sunderland, Aberdeen did not receive points for having a recognised CAM testbed.
Its position nevertheless highlights the role that engineering expertise may play in supporting autonomous transport, from vehicle systems and sensors to infrastructure, maintenance and technical services.
Wolverhampton stands out for taxi infrastructure
Wolverhampton completed the top five with an overall score of 75.61.
The city received the highest taxi-infrastructure score in the study, based on a reported 1,354.1 taxis and private-hire vehicles per 10,000 people.
It also recorded 100% 5G coverage, although its EV infrastructure and engineering density were lower than those of the leading cities.
The remaining cities in the top 10 were Birmingham, Norwich, Reading, Blackpool and Milton Keynes.
UK cities are preparing for a more connected transport system
The ranking reflects how autonomous mobility depends on far more than the vehicles themselves.
Self-driving systems require reliable digital connectivity, suitable roads, charging infrastructure, engineering expertise and environments where new transport technologies can be tested safely.
Taxi and private-hire networks may also become important because shared autonomous vehicles could be among the earliest large-scale applications of driverless technology in cities.
The study comes as autonomous ride services and robotaxi projects continue to attract attention internationally, while UK cities increasingly assess their own readiness for more connected and automated forms of transport.
For local authorities, mobility providers and infrastructure operators, the shift could eventually affect everything from kerbside management and charging networks to data infrastructure and public transport integration.
Interest in self-driving technology varies widely
Accu’s study also included Google Search interest as an indicator of public curiosity around autonomous vehicles.
Blackpool recorded the highest interest score at 100, followed by Norwich at 98.0 and Reading at 78.8.
Coventry, despite ranking first overall for infrastructure readiness, recorded a comparatively moderate interest score of 39.1. London’s score was lower still at 15.8.
That contrast suggests that public interest and technical preparedness do not necessarily develop at the same pace.
Cities may therefore need to consider public communication and trust alongside infrastructure as autonomous mobility moves closer to everyday use.
Top 10 UK cities for self-driving car readiness
| Rank | City | Readiness score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry | 100.00 |
| 2 | Greater London | 82.70 |
| 3 | Sunderland | 81.58 |
| 4 | Aberdeen City | 80.74 |
| 5 | Wolverhampton | 75.61 |
| 6 | Birmingham | 69.62 |
| 7 | Norwich | 68.89 |
| 8 | Reading | 64.28 |
| 9 | Blackpool | 63.46 |
| 10 | Milton Keynes | 60.79 |
Methodology
Accu analysed the UK’s most populous cities using measures covering EV charging infrastructure, 5G coverage, Connected and Automated Mobility testbeds, engineering-business density, taxi and private-hire infrastructure and online search interest.
Each factor was scored and combined into an overall self-driving car readiness score out of 100.
About Accu
Accu is a precision engineering company supplying components and technical products for engineering and manufacturing applications.
