Japan to Introduce Automated Driving System for Official Govt Vehicles; Test Runs for Automated Govt Vehicles to Begin in Autumn
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo
The government aims to introduce an automated driving system for vehicles used by national and local government officials for official duties, according to a draft strategy revealed Thursday for the promotion of the digitization of the automotive industry.
With autonomous vehicles becoming more common, it has been pointed out that Japan is falling behind.
The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry as well as the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry are working to promote the introduction of the vehicles through more public-private cooperation amid intensifying international competition.
For that purpose, government procurement will be utilized. As vehicles used for official government duties often use specific routes, it is believed that those vehicles can be easily replaced with autonomous ones.
In autumn, the government will begin conducting pilot tests, in which autonomous vehicles drive regular routes back and forth between the economy ministry building and the Diet Building.
Test runs for autonomous trucks are currently underway on a section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway. Starting in or after fiscal 2026, the tests will be expanded to include general roads between logistic facilities and expressway exits and entrances.
If automated driving is realized on general roads, it will create an environment in which such services as automated deliveries and joint deliveries to improve load efficiency will become easier.
Efforts to share data across automakers will also be strengthened.
In addition, the government aims to strengthen the resilience of supply chains. Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, when a shortage of semiconductor chips led to factory operations being shut down, a system will be established to enable automakers to share information regarding the procurement status of the chips, among other things, starting this fiscal year.
The government will also study ways to enhance the convenience of services such as ride-sharing services, in which individuals use their private vehicles to transport others for a fee, by linking the My Number identification system to vehicle information.
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