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Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Korea's Autonomous A2Z, Kanematsu team up for Level 4 self-driving in Japan
Korean autonomous driving solutions provider Autonomous A2Z announced Tuesday that it has formed a partnership with Japan's Kanematsu Corp. to introduce its Level 4 autonomous driving technology to the Japanese market. Level 4 autonomy enables vehicles to operate without driver intervention within designated areas. Under the agreement signed Monday, the two companies will collaborate to deploy Autonomous A2Z's proprietary self-driving technology in Japan. The partnership also includes efforts to secure local certification and regulatory approval, as well as exploring the possibility of establishing a joint venture. Autonomous A2Z holds the longest cumulative autonomous driving record among Korean companies, with over 68,000 kilometers of real-world operation across Korea. Kanematsu, a trading company with a 136-year history in Japan, plans to use its broad domestic network to support the development of local infrastructure and institutions for autonomous mobility. The company has established operations in sectors including mobility, information and communications technology, and electronics. The partnership comes amid growing interest in autonomous driving in Japan, where aging demographics and population concentration in metropolitan areas increasingly strain the transportation system. 'Kanematsu is a strong partner capable of bridging the autonomous driving industry and Japan's social system, backed by its deep roots in the local economy,' said Han Ji-hyeong, CEO of Autonomous A2Z. 'Through this collaboration, we aim to lead mobility innovation in Japan with our autonomous technology and further accelerate our global expansion.'
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Grab is in ‘prime position' to support the transition to driverless cars, says CEO Anthony Tan
Autonomous vehicles are now a common sight, with robotaxis plying the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Wuhan, and Shenzhen. Economies like Japan, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates are also exploring their own autonomous taxi services. Singapore is no different. The government has been looking to launch driverless buses on its main island. WeRide already has a driverless bus plying a short route on Sentosa island, and the ride-hailing firm Grab recently launched a driverless shuttle service between the One-North metro station and its headquarters four kilometers away. The Grab-operated shuttle, which ferries employees back-and-forth between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day, is just a pilot, yet CEO Anthony Tan sang the praises of AVs on an earnings call on Thursday. 'We are leaning heavily into the AV opportunity, or what we think of as driverless AV opportunity across Southeast Asia. We are in prime position to support the AV transition over the next few years,' Tan said in response to a question on the call about how quickly Grab anticipates a commercial launch of its driverless offerings. Grab's CEO elaborated that the company will continue to build strong relationships with global AV players and OEMs, and touted the platform's regional reach. Grab is present in eight countries across Southeast Asia. 'We have several pilots planned at the moment,' Tan said, including one with Autonomous A2Z, a Korean AV manufacturer. He said to 'expect to hear [about] more pilots,' which will allow Grab to understand the operational conditions for different driverless vehicle services throughout the region. While there are concerns that driverless taxis will eliminate jobs, some Southeast Asian transport operators say they struggle to find drivers to meet demand throughout the day. AVs could fill these supply shortages when there are fewer drivers on the road. Grab's earnings Grab reported a profit of $20 million for the quarter ended June 2025, reversing a loss of $68 million for the same period last year. Revenue grew by 23% year on year to reach $819 million, driven by gains in Grab's on-demand and financial services segment. The company's financial services segment, while starting from a lower base, was its fastest-growing division. Revenue in that segment grew 41% year on year to reach $84 million, while its loan portfolio grew by 78% to hit $708 million. Grab chief operating officer Alex Hungate was confident that Grab's loan book could exceed $1 billion by the end of the year, citing its strong product lineup. Loans can be a significant revenue driver for companies like Grab, as nontraditional lenders can charge higher interest rates to cover the increased risk of lending to underbanked customers. Grab shares, which are traded in New York, are up 0.6% in premarket trading. The company's shares are currently up 11.6% for the year thus far. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Times
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
Grab to roll out autonomous shuttle bus trial at one-north
[Singapore] Grab announced the launch of its first autonomous electric shuttle bus pilot on Tuesday (Jul 8) in Singapore, in collaboration with Autonomous A2Z (A2Z), a Korean full-stack autonomous vehicle technology manufacturer. Starting tomorrow, the self-driving shuttle will operate on a fixed 3.9km route between Grab's headquarters at one-north and the nearby one-north MRT station. The autonomous shuttle will serve Grab employees for two hours daily during off-peak periods, with additional hours dedicated to further training. Grab and A2Z will closely monitor ride performance and safety outcomes before opening up more time slots. The vehicle is equipped with A2Z's full-stack autonomous technology and Grab's Internet of Things (IoT) systems, and will operate with a trained safety driver onboard at all times. It is also equipped with 11 sensors and has a 360-degree view of its surroundings, enabling it to detect and safely manoeuvre around new objects and sudden obstacles. 'Safety is Grab's top priority, and we are committed to taking a cautious and calibrated approach to autonomous technology pilots,' said Yee Wee Tang, Grab's regional head of operations. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'Through this initiative, we are evaluating the safety performance of autonomous technologies and exploring the potential new job opportunities this sector could create,' he added. A2Z's managing director Ryan Kim said the trial is the company's first deployment in Singapore and will help test the commercial viability of autonomous shuttles in Singapore, as well as explore their potential to alleviate manpower shortages in Singapore's public transport sector. As part of the trial, Grab is also training driver-partners and members of the National Private Hire Vehicles Association to become part-time safety drivers, with five already enrolled in the programme. The pilot comes on the heels of Grab's regional partnerships with several autonomous vehicle firms, and is part of its broader strategy to support Singapore's autonomous vehicle ambitions.
Malay Mail
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Grab rolls out self-driving shuttle for staff in six-month Singapore pilot on July 9
SINGAPORE, July 8 — Ride-hailing giant Grab is launching a six-month trial of a driverless shuttle service for its employees, starting July 9. According to The Straits Times, the 22-seater autonomous electric minibus will run on a 3.9km fixed loop between Grab's office at Media Circle and the one-north MRT station during off-peak hours on weekdays. Although the bus is fully self-driving, a safety operator will remain behind the wheel to take control if necessary, in line with Land Transport Authority (LTA) regulations. The LTA, which oversees autonomous vehicle (AV) trials, requires all such vehicles to have a safety operator and display a blinking yellow beacon and a trial sticker when in autonomous mode. Developed by Korean tech firm Autonomous A2Z, the vehicle is a regular electric minibus retrofitted with sensors and software to enable autonomous driving, The Straits Times reported. It is equipped with 11 sensors — including radars and cameras — and has undergone over 100 hours of training along the designated route. The training covered road infrastructure, lane markings, pedestrian detection, and responding to traffic lights. During a 15-minute demonstration today, the shuttle completed the journey without human intervention. It navigated traffic, changed lanes to avoid obstacles like illegally parked vehicles, and stopped at every zebra crossing along the route — even when no pedestrians were present — as required by the LTA. Grab's group managing director of operations, Yee Wee Tang, said the trial could offer insights into how AVs might serve short-distance trips more effectively. 'It could potentially be of value to passengers whose destinations are too far for walking but too near to use a ride-hail service,' he reportedly said at the media preview. When not in service, the shuttle will be used for training and technology development. Currently, five safety operators are undergoing training, with plans to expand to 10 by the end of 2025. The pilot follows Grab's March partnership with four autonomous tech companies to assess how AVs can support urban transport in South-east Asia. The launch also comes amid a wider government push to integrate autonomous vehicles into Singapore's public transport network. In June, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said the Singapore government was exploring the use of AVs to enhance public mobility. A larger-scale trial involving self-driving public shuttles is slated to begin in Punggol in the fourth quarter of 2025. Autonomous A2Z is the only firm with LTA approval to conduct AV trials in 2025 so far, joining earlier test participants Chinese firms WeRide and Zelos, and local company Moovita. According to the LTA, 17 autonomous vehicles are currently authorised for public road trials as of end-June. These include AVs designed for logistics, passenger transport, and road maintenance. Since 2017, more than 60 AVs have been approved for on-road trials, with about a third still active.
