Sign up for our weekly emails to stay up to date on the latest news!
Plus and TIER IV have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate Autonomy 2.0 in Japan, beginning with driverless trucks to address the nation’s critical truck driver shortage.
Key Highlights:
- Customized AI Integration: Plus’s virtual driver AI will be integrated with TIER IV’s Autoware-based platform tailored specifically for the Japanese market.
- Government Initiative: This collaboration aligns with Japanese government-led projects aimed at accelerating autonomous driving technology.
- Market Expansion: This marks Plus’s entry into the Japanese market, complementing its existing autonomous truck deployments in the United States and Europe.
The partnership combines Plus’s global expertise in AI-driven autonomous trucking software with TIER IV’s leadership in open-source autonomous driving solutions. The first objective is deploying Level 4 autonomous trucks on Japan’s expressways, a significant step in meeting Japan’s urgent logistics challenges caused by driver shortages and an aging population.
Shinpei Kato, CEO of TIER IV, emphasized, “We’ve always believed that co-creation with our partners is the fastest way to bring the best autonomous driving systems to the world. Plus is a global autonomous driving software company that’s already powering the Level 4 autonomous trucks of leading truck makers in the United States and Europe like TRATON GROUP’s Scania, MAN and International, Iveco Group, as well as Hyundai. This makes Plus the ideal partner to accelerate deployment of Autonomy 2.0-based autonomous driving technology in Japan, starting with autonomous trucks.”
“Driverless trucks are a necessary solution to address Japan’s acute truck driver shortage and aging population,” said David Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of Plus. “We are excited to leverage our AV2.0 Generative AI-based autonomous driving technology and expertise in deploying autonomous trucks with global truck makers to work with TIER IV to accelerate the rollout of driverless trucks in Japan.”
A recent study by the Nomura Research Institute projected a 36% shortfall in truck drivers by 2030 in Japan, underscoring the urgent need for automated trucking solutions. Through their collaboration, Plus and TIER IV are poised to significantly advance freight transport innovation and efficiency across the Japanese market.
Sign up for our weekly emails to stay up to date on the latest news!
