AB Dynamics (ABDP) is not a household name to anyone but Aim investors. Its services, however, provide an eerie glimpse into our possible future. Videos on its website show empty cars gliding along dual carriageways. One swerves effortlessly around a foam motorcyclist. Another stops inches from a dummy in the shape of a child.
The group does not make vehicles – it simply tests them. As such, it is a second-hand beneficiary of the electric revolution, and the wave of new products it has ushered in. Attention is lavished on energy giants, battery makers and car companies, but as the world turns away from fossil fuels a host of unlikely businesses are also set to prosper, either as a result of shrewd foresight or simple good fortune.
AB Dynamics is a useful starting point. In many ways, the business hasn’t changed much since it was set up in 1982. It has been ensuring vehicles are safe for years, using steering and pedal robots to test-drive new models – hence the lack of humans. However, growth has been accelerated by the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and the subsequent push to make cars perform more functions themselves.