In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Isuzu, TIER IV and Pony.ai.
Isuzu Invests in TIER IV
Isuzu Motors Limited (headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; President and COO: Shinsuke Minami; hereinafter Isuzu) and TIER IV, Inc. (headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; Founder, CEO and CTO: Shinpei Kato; hereinafter TIER IV) have agreed to form a capital and business alliance for the development of autonomous driving systems for route buses. In this tie-up, Isuzu will invest six billion yen (approximately 40 million US dollars) in TIER IV.
The alliance is aimed at speeding up the development and deployment of autonomous driving systems, specifically designed for route buses, with the overarching goal of delivering Level 4 autonomous driving.
Isuzu and TIER IV have reached an agreement to develop autonomous driving systems and expand business initiatives in the route bus sector. Through the synergy of TIER IV’s advanced technologies and Isuzu’s extensive data and expertise in route buses, the companies will develop vehicles and systems compatible with Level 4 autonomous driving. Looking ahead, Isuzu envisions delivering comprehensive solutions to bus operators, offering route buses equipped with autonomous driving systems.
TIER IV, the pioneering force behind the world’s first open-source software for autonomous driving, “Autoware”*1, has been involved in proof-of-concept tests around the world, harnessing the software that facilitates the design and development of safe and reliable systems. Underscoring TIER IV’s technological advancements in this domain, the company has been selected by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for the “Open Platform Software for Automated Driving,”*2 research and development project, as part of the Green Innovation Fund Projects.
In May 2023, Isuzu Group announced it would invest a total of one trillion yen by 2030 towards carbon neutrality initiatives and advanced DX (Digital Transformation) for logistics. As the shortage of drivers in the logistics and public transportation sector intensifies, Isuzu believes that the development and widespread adoption of autonomous driving technology, which underpins DX for logistics, will not only address these societal challenges, but also act as a key driver for Isuzu Group’s business in the future.
Through this partnership, Isuzu and TIER IV are committed to leading innovation in the autonomous driving segment, bringing a broad range of benefits to society.
Pony.ai & Luxembourg
Pony.ai, a leading global autonomous mobility company, held a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony today with the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“The Government”) to advance the development of autonomous mobility in Luxembourg. The MoU was signed by Pony.ai Co-Founder and CEO Dr. James Peng and Luxembourg’s Minister of the Economy Lex Delles. This MoU represents a collaborative partnership between Luxembourg and Pony.ai, with the objective of fostering the research, development, and deployment of autonomous vehicles in Luxembourg.
As a global leader in innovation and technology, Luxembourg presents an excellent opportunity for Pony.ai to further develop its leading autonomous mobility technology in Europe. Pony.ai, with the support of Luxinnovation and local stakeholders, intends to set up a regional hub in Luxembourg, which will serve as a center for Pony.ai’s cutting-edge research and development of autonomous vehicle technology. Pony.ai’s Luxembourg-based hub will be pivotal in driving technological advancements and tailoring solutions for the European market. In addition, the Government and Pony.ai aim to develop a robust local network to support operational capabilities in Luxembourg. Pony.ai looks forward to building strong local partnerships to support this effort.
Pony.ai co-founder and CEO Dr. James Peng said: “As a leading global autonomous vehicle company, Pony.ai is delighted to partner with Luxembourg as we continue our global expansion. We aim to bring to this partnership our cutting-edge AV technology, comprehensive training programs, and a commitment to establish a regional hub in Luxembourg as we continue our global expansion.”
Luxembourg Minister of the Economy Lex Delles said: “The intelligent mobility sector is one of our priorities with regard to the diversification of Luxembourg’s economy. Our aim is to make the Grand Duchy a pioneer in the field of autonomous driving on a European scale. As such, I am very pleased with the signature of an MoU with Pony.ai, a leader in autonomous mobility technologies and services. The signature today formalizes our collaboration and is an important step towards creating a synergy between the technical expertise of Pony.ai and the Luxembourg government’s political strategy. The latter aims to promote research and technological development, job creation and sustainable economic growth.”
Pony.ai is a leader in autonomous mobility and in the commercialization of autonomous driving, operating Robotaxi, Robotruck and Personally Owned Vehicle (POV) business units, developing the safest autonomous driving capabilities on a global scale. Pony.ai is excited to continue its expansion into Luxembourg and the European market. For the past year, Pony.ai has engaged in detailed conversations surrounding robotaxi deployment use cases and opportunities with local stakeholders in Luxembourg and believes the country is an exciting and innovative region to introduce Pony.ai’s leading autonomous vehicles.