Award-winning SCALE initiative launches full route to Birmingham Business Park from February 5.
This Thursday, the latest phase of the Solihull & Coventry Automated Links Evolution (SCALE) project goes live. Autonomous shuttles will operate for the first time along the 7km route between Resorts World, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) with access to Birmingham Internation Train Station, and Birmingham Business Park (BBP).
Photo courtesy of Solihull Metropolitan Council
As we’ve reported before, SCALE launched in March 2024 with three Ohmio Lift autonomous shuttles operating across the NEC campus. Until now, the service ended just before the busy Bickenhill Parkway roundabout.
The extension marks the most ambitious real-world operation of the shuttles to date. Additional support has been provided by Liftango, a specialist in demand‑responsive transport, fixed‑route, and carpool systems, with experience in working with major bus operators, and government transport agencies. For SCALE, the company’s UK‑based team is supporting operational delivery, providing real‑time vehicle co-ordination, passenger trip scheduling, dynamic routing and live shuttle tracking.
Autonomous shuttle services run between 10am and 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. They are currently scheduled to run on this basis from February 5 to March 26, 2026.
Solihull Council and the SCALE consortium, who are behind the initiative, encourage visitors to the NEC, Resorts World, and Birmingham Business Park to experience autonomous transport first hand by simply turning up and taking a ride – there is no need to pre-book.
You can also view the route and track shuttle locations in real time via the new SCALE Project website.
The SCALE project is being delivered by a consortium led by Solihull Council, with partners including Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick, Coventry University, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), Ohmio, the NEC, Coventry City Council, IPG, dRISK and now Liftango.
The project is funded through the government’s CAM Pathfinder programme, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.
Cllr Andy Mackiewicz, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Planning at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, says: ‘Seeing the autonomous shuttles travel the full 7km route for the first time is a major milestone for SCALE. Extending the deployment across a more complex environment gives us invaluable insight into how autonomous transport can integrate safely and seamlessly into busy public settings. We’re excited to invite visitors, workers, and residents to come and experience this technology for themselves as we continue shaping the future of shared transport here in Solihull.’
Lori McDonagh, Marketing, Community and Business Development Manager at Birmingham Business Park, adds: ‘As a destination that welcomes up to 10,000 visitors every day, we’re always looking for innovative ways to improve connectivity and enhance the experience for everyone who works here or comes to the park. Hosting the full‑route deployment of the SCALE autonomous shuttles is an exciting step forward, giving our community the chance to engage directly with this exciting technology.’
Grant Fraser, UK Business Development Director at Liftango, says: ‘We’re proud to be joining the SCALE consortium at such a pivotal moment. Supporting the first full route deployment with our rea l-time mobility platform demonstrates how digital infrastructure and autonomous technology can work hand in hand. SCALE is showing what the future of shared, sustainable transport can look like, and we’re excited to help bring that vision to life.’
Dean Zabrieszach, CEO of Ohmio, adds: ‘Launching the full 7km SCALE route is a major step forward for autonomous transport in the UK. Moving beyond a campus environment and operating across a live, mixed-traffic network demonstrates We are proud to be working alongside Solihull Council and the SCALE consortium to show how autonomous mobility can deliver practical, accessible and sustainable transport solutions that people can experience the maturity, safety and real-world readiness of Ohmio’s autonomous shuttle technology.’
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