Japan has planned to allow semi-autonomous vehicles on public roads in a limited capacity starting April 2023, paving the door for services such as robo-taxis and driverless buses, according to a report published by Nikkei Asia on 28 October 2022.
According to proposals disclosed last week, the National Police Agency aims to lift a restriction on Level 4 self-driving vehicles, which may function without a driver under certain situations.
Japan's approach comes as local startups make efforts at bringing technology highways. SoftBank Group-backed Boldly has announced a collaboration with Estonia's Auve Tech to put Level 4 self-driving buses on Japanese roads by fiscal 2023.
The Japanese government intends to establish mobility services with level 4 cars in 40 areas by 2025, and more than 100 by 2030.
Tier IV began a trial of self-driving shuttle buses to transfer passengers between terminals at Narita Airport in Tokyo in February, in collaboration with telecoms KDDI and NTT.
Significance: Japanese automakers' enthusiasm for the race to Level 4 has been mixed. Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor have conducted research on the technology but have not specified a timeline for the introduction of vehicles or services that utilize it.
Argo AI, an US firm financed by Ford Motor and Volkswagen, announced its closure on Wednesday. Ford invested in Argo in 2017 with the expectation that Level 4 self-driving technology would be widely used by 2021. "Profitable, fully autonomous vehicles at scale are a long way off," Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement.
Details on Japan's new Level 4 automobile restrictions, including when they will be allowed on the roads, will be released following a public comment period that ends in November.
