Advanced, Automated and Electric Vehicle Law

The era of advanced, automated and electric vehicles (AAEVs) has begun; the legal transformation is starting.

In July 2018, Parliament enacted the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018, legislating for electric vehicle charging and allowing a direct civil claim against the motor insurer of an automated, 'self-driving' vehicle. In May 2022, the UK government announced its intention to create a new legal category for e-scooters. In April 2023, a 'hands free' advanced driver assistance system was approved for use on certain motorways across England, Wales and Scotland. On 8 November 2023 the Automated Vehicles Bill 2023-24 (HL Bill 1) had its first reading in Parliament.

Motor vehicle technologies have developed since the nineteenth century and have affected numerous aspects of our lives - from road safety to the environment, from the laws of negligence and contribution to the rules of compulsory insurance. As AAEV technologies proliferate, their effects are likely to spread further.

This book describes the emerging laws of advanced, automated and electric vehicles in England and Wales, explaining:

• The insurance and liability reforms of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018
• The wider regulatory reforms of the Automated Vehicles Bill 2023-24, set to become the Automated Vehicles Act 2024
• The range of legal practice areas affected by AAEVs, including discussions of the new public laws of vehicle safety, the actionability of downloaded software, electronic disclosure in civil litigation and the law of testing prototypes.

This book will help those litigating, adjudicating, regulating and studying AAEV issues. It gives the context and detail of AAEV law in its many applications. It is a map to a fast-changing legal landscape.

table of content

PART I - INTRODUCTION

 

1. Introduction to AAEV Law

 

2. The Law of Vehicle Specifications

 

3. The Law of Testing Prototypes

 

4. The Law of Driving

 

5. The Law of Passenger Services and Public Transport

 

6. The Law of Motor Insurance

 

7. Themes of AAEV Law

 

8. Problems of AAEV Law

 

PART II – CIVIL LAW

 

9. Road Traffic Accident Claims

 

10. Vehicle Defect Claims

 

11. Passenger Claims

 

12. Employer's Liability Claims

 

13. Highway Claims

 

14. Delivery Claims

 

15. Electric Vehicle Charging Claims

 

16. Smaller Electric Vehicle Claims

 

17. Data and Privacy Claims

 

18. Personal Security Claims

 

19. Procedure for Additional Claims

 

20. Damages

 

PART III – CRIMINAL OFFENCES

 

21. 'Moving' Offences

 

22. 'Keeping' Offences

 

23. 'Construction' Offences

 

24. 'Obstruction' Offences

 

25. 'Tampering' Offences

 

PART IV – PUBLIC LAW

 

26. Data and Privacy Law

 

27. Equality Law

 

28. Highway Law

 

29. Human Rights Law

 

30. Environmental Law

 

31. The New Public Laws of Advanced and Automated Vehicle Safety

 

Appendix