Skip to main content

Navya to operate autonomous shuttles in Japan 

Navya is to deploy autonomous electric shuttles in the Japanese city of Sakai in April.
By Ben Spencer February 24, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Left to right: Henri Coron (Navya chief business development officer), Atsushi Sato (Macnica president),  Masahiro Hashimoto (Sakai Mayor), Yuki SAJI - SB Drive (president). Source: Navya

The company says this is to address a shortage of bus and taxi drivers. 

Henri Coron, chief business development officer at Navya, says deployment comes only six months after obtaining permission to operate on public roads in Japan and is part of an agreement with Softbank subsidiary SB Drive.

Navya says the city will use SB Drive’s fleet management system to remotely monitor the Autonom shuttles. The vehicles will be operated by digital solutions group Macnica on routes that connect medical facilities, post offices, schools and banks. 



 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Keolis trials electric autonomous shuttle in Belgium
    September 11, 2018
    Keolis is trialling an electric autonomous shuttle to take riders to the caves of Han-sur-Lesse, a tourist attraction in Belgium. The study will assess the reactions of passengers travelling along a 500m route in normal traffic conditions to help improve the safety of the technology. The Navya shuttle can carry up to 15 passengers from the parking area to the caves. It features lidar sensors, a GPS real-time kinematic odometric system, vehicle-to-everything connection and cameras which allows it to dete
  • Hamburg’s on-demand alternative to commuting by car
    December 5, 2017
    As Hamburg is confirmed as the host for the 2021 ITS World Congress, David Crawford looks at the city’s moves towards enabling MaaS-type operations. Germany’s second-largest city, Hamburg, is pinning its civic reputation on having its promised all-electric, on-demand, shuttle bus ridesharing service up and running by 2018. Partners in the three-year project are regional metro and bus service provider Hamburger Hochbahn and Volkswagen Group’s Berlinbased mobility innovation subsidiary Moia, which was set
  • Keolis uses 5G to remotely operate e-minibus
    October 8, 2020
    Next phase of project in Stockholm will be carried out at Kista Science City
  • Navya unveils six seated autonomous taxi
    December 5, 2017
    Navya has launched its Autonom Cab (AC) to address the challenges urban populations face when travelling in and around cities. The cab, designed to be completely autonomous, comes without a cockpit, steering wheel or pedals and can carry up to six passengers.