In Japan, a comprehensive approach to commercializing autonomous trucks

An aging population and driver shortages are fueling demand for autonomous trucking in Japan, where a partnership between Plus and Tokyo-based TIER IV is helping support the government’s Autonomy 2.0 efforts to operate Level 4 autonomous trucks on Japan’s expressways.

A combination of market and regulatory factors is driving Japanese investment in autonomous trucking, said Christian John, President, TIER IV North America. The government has limited the number of overtime hours drivers can be behind the wheel. Increased demand for transportation services, driven in part by an uptick in home delivery, is also putting pressure on the system.

“By 2030, if trends continue, there is going to be approximately a 35% gap in the number of available drivers compared to the demand,” John said.

John delivered his remarks during a fireside chat with Plus co-founder and COO Shawn Kerrigan. In March, the two companies announced a partnership bringing together Plus’s virtual driver, SuperDrive™, with TIER IV’s Autoware-based platform to create an L4 autonomous trucking solution specifically for the Japan market.

Held at Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, the conversation focused on the unique features of the Japan market and how the collaboration will help accelerate safe and scalable deployment of self-driving commercial trucks. Plus’s VP of Marketing, Lauren Kwan, moderated the conversation.

A culture of robotics innovation and safety

Compared to many countries, Japan is taking a forward-thinking approach to putting autonomous trucks, cars and buses on public roads. Notably, Mobility DX, a publicly-funded initiative, features major programs dedicated to robotaxis, autonomous buses and autonomous trucks.

A long history of consumer robotics in Japan has created an openness to advanced technologies such as driverless vehicles, John said. At the same time, Japanese culture is known for being very safe and conservative. “So we take testing and validation very seriously and ensure safety before we put things into operation. There is a level of public trust that we don’t necessarily have in other countries.”

A synergistic relationship

TIER IV is collaborating with local partners to develop an autonomous driving solution for highway driving, based on commercial trucks manufactured by Isuzu Motors and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus. In a project overseen by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the trucks recently completed test runs on a new dedicated autonomous trucking test lane along the Shin-Tomei Expressway in central Japan – the lane is only open to self-driving trucks during overnight hours.

The express lane includes sensors, V2X technology and other connected infrastructure that can provide information to autonomous vehicles about road conditions, improving safety and operational efficiencies.

While smart infrastructure isn’t required for Plus’s self-driving software technology to operate, it can further enhance the safety and efficiency of autonomous trucks by giving them data beyond what the sensors can see. “Autonomous trucks need to work with whatever infrastructure is in place,” Kerrigan noted. “But when you have smart infrastructure, it can help expand where and how reliably they operate.”

For Plus, the Japan expansion builds on years of experience developing and deploying autonomy with global OEMs, including Volkswagen’s TRATON Group (its Scania, MAN, and International brands), Hyundai, and IVECO. Its virtual driver has already operated over 5 million miles in commercial settings, validating real-world performance at scale.

Partnering with TIER IV aligns with Plus’s data-driven approach to creating a safe and scalable virtual driving system, Kerrigan said. The company’s AV 2.0 system replaces code with sophisticated neural networks, he explained, reducing opportunities for error and enabling the system to process much larger data sets at much higher speed.

“It gives you a principled and structured way to capture data from new scenarios, and is based on the idea that if you gather more and more data, you’ll have a more general and flexible system.” Expanding data collection in new markets like Japan “feeds back into building a more capable system overall.”

In Japan, as in the U.S., the regulatory structure for autonomous vehicles operates at the federal and regional levels. TIER IV, the first company to be certified for Level 4 operations in Japan, is currently working with public and private stakeholders to help develop safety standards for testing operating autonomous trucks across the country. “It is one of the advantages we hope to bring to our relationship with Plus – that we understand the evaluation and the processes,” John said.

“It takes an ecosystem to bring this technology to life,” said Kerrigan. “We’re proud to partner with TIER IV to help shape the future of freight in Japan.”