Leonardo da Vinci may not be the first name one associates with self-driving vehicles. But more than 500 years ago, the Italian polymath built self-propelled carts that he unveiled in front of his royal patrons and public audiences.
That same innovative spirit lives on in Isuzu Motors, which has partnered with California-based research and product development company Applied Intuition to develop self-driving, fully automated trucks and have them on Japanese highways by 2027.
If Isuzu succeeds, it will likely be the first Japanese commercial automaker to do so.
If self-driving becomes widespread in the future, our self-driving business has the potential to grow into a major source of sales.
Isuzu President Shinsuke Minami
What does this mean for Japanese lawmakers?
The rapid pace of technological advancements has prompted Japan’s government to update its national traffic laws to accommodate self-driving vehicles, such as taxis and public buses. Self-driving technology is also a game changer for various sectors, including transportation and logistics. Many experts see the technology as a potential solution to a predicted shortage of drivers due to Japan’s aging population.
“If self-driving becomes widespread in the future, our self-driving business has the potential to grow into a major source of sales,” Isuzu President Shinsuke Minami said in an interview with Nikkei Asia.
Several developed countries have already revised their traffic laws to anticipate the widespread use of self-driving vehicles. Leading the global efforts to harmonize laws on autonomous driving, Japan has ratified the Geneva Convention, while Germany has adopted the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
