CHANCELLOR George Osborne’s plans to get driverless cars on UK roads with a year has been lauded by a North-East electric parts company.

Mr Osborne’s Budget today (Wednesday, March 16) confirmed tests on autonomous vehicles will start on British roads in late 2017.

The scheme, alongside Highways England, has received praise from Sevcon, known for making controllers for the electric Renault Twizy car and parts for battery-powered Brammo motorcycles.

Matt Boyle, president and chief executive of Gateshead-based Sevcon, welcomed Mr Osborne’s vision, saying its next generation drive train systems are well-equipped to cover any future demand.

According to the Budget, the Government will set aside £61bn to improve transport networks, which, Mr Osborne said, will help make the UK “a global centre for excellence in connected and autonomous vehicles.”

Mr Boyle, whose company employs about half of its 144-strong workforce in Gateshead, said: “Driverless vehicles will be powered by an electric drive train, which is much easier to automate than an internal combustion vehicle.

“We are leading the way in developing solutions for the drivetrains of the future and we see great potential for the business in the Chancellor’s announcement.”

Last month, a driverless Google car collided with a bus in the US, prompting fears the prospect of intelligent vehicles remains years off.

However, Mr Osborne is expected to set out proposals this summer that focus on scrapping autonomous driving on motorways, as he bids to put Britain at the forefront of a global market some experts say could be worth £900bn in less than ten years.

He said: “The Government is making the biggest investment in transport infrastructure in generations and increasing capital investment in the network by 50 per cent over this Parliament.

“It will conduct trials of driverless cars on the strategic road network by 2017 (to make) the UK a centre for driverless vehicles.”

Mr Osborne’s plans come just days after Sevcon finalised a £10m-plus deal to take on Italian battery charger producer, Bassi.

At the time, Mr Boyle told The Northern Echo the move was the “last piece in its jigsaw puzzle”, adding it will allow Sevcon to increase its hold on the electric vehicle market, sell equipment to more customers and use Bassi's technology to enhance new controllers.

He added: “We’ve known Bassi for a very long time and have a very similar customer base.

“But they aren’t doing anything on the road (like we are), and it’s a cracking deal from our point of view.

“This is the next step in our evolution and helps our goal to grow and become the one-stop shop for all electric or hybrid needs.”