And-e advances expertise in autonomous vehicle insurance

Motor and mobility insurance provider Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe (And-e) has collaborated with autonomous vehicle software company Oxa over an initiative providing insight for future autonomous vehicle protection. 

The Sunderland Advanced Mobility Shuttle (SAMS) project – which took place during the first quarter of 2025 – was designed to research, pilot and evaluate the north east’s first autonomous passenger vehicle in Sunderland city centre.

Oxa provided the project with an autonomous Ford E-Transit shuttle equipped with its self-driving technology, while And-e managed the insurance risk in participation with Apollo. 

The project was led by Sunderland City Council and six other public and private partners.

Phil Norris, chief product innovation officer at And-e, said: “The aim of the SAMS project was to explore and demonstrate the potential of autonomous vehicles for safe, efficient and sustainable transport solutions.

“We were, therefore, very excited to be involved in this real-world project, giving us the ability to learn from the experience for future autonomous vehicle developments. Much has been written about the proliferation of autonomous mobility and its wider adoption in the next few years.

“Understanding how this new advance in mobility will change the parameters of underwriting criteria is critical. The insurance industry is built on historical precedent, but there’s no historical precedent for the new technologies. Experimentation and innovation are key.”

‘Significant stride’

In a collaboration which has been ongoing since 2021, And-e and Oxa also underwrote Europe’s first deployment of a zero-occupancy and fully autonomous electric vehicle on publicly accessible roads in 2022. 

Following the SAMS project, Gavin Jackson, chief executive at Oxa, said: “The recent SAMS project showcased the real-world application of self-driving technology on public roads, marking a significant stride in the widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles.

“The initiative underscores the positive impact that autonomous mobility will have on daily life. Collaborations with forward-thinking insurance providers like And-e are critical in enabling the roll out of greener, safer and more efficient transport solutions.”