Isuzu, US Startup Team to Develop Self-Driving Trucks

Leading Japanese commercial vehicle maker Isuzu has formed a partnership with software specialist Applied Intuition to develop self-driving trucks.

The Yokohama-based company and Silicon Valley start-up will team to develop trucks capable of Level 4 automation for use on Japanese highways by Fiscal Year 2028. 

Level 4 is defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers as when a vehicle is in full control of the driving under specific circumstances, such as in an Operational Design Domain.

In April, Isuzu revealed its new mid-term plan “Transformation—Growth to 2030 (IX)” which aims to establish autonomous driving solutions as a new business pillar, and the agreement with Applied Intuition is seen as a “key driver” in doing so.

The five-year collaboration will see Isuzu gain access to Applied Intuition’s software solutions. Introducing autonomous technology is now seen as a priority in Japan, where driver shortages are a real problem.

Although a statement released to announce the news made no mention of which vehicles would be covered by the agreement, Japanese news outlet Nikkei referenced the firm’s heavy-duty Giga trucks in an interview with Isuzu President Shinsuke Minami. The trucks would be used for runs between warehouses.

The Giga vehicles are hugely popular in Japan, and are also the top sellers in Australia and New Zealand, where they have C Series and E Series badging.

Related:Self-Driving Vehicle Software Company Closes $250M Funding Round

The deal marks another coup for Applied Intuition, which was founded in 2017 as a developer of driving simulators for autonomous vehicle (AV) developers, but now offers a wide range of software and says it has deals in place with 18 of the world’s top 20 automakers.

It closed a $250 million funding round in April and raised another $300 million in a secondary sale in July.

Shinsuke Minami hailed the deal, saying: “The partnership with Applied Intuition will exponentially advance autonomous driving technology development and provide a solid and reliable foundation as we enter the Level 4 autonomous driving business in FY2028. 

“I believe that Applied Intuition’s advanced technologies will serve as a strong driving force in realizing our Isuzu Transformation (IX) goals.”

Applied Intuition co-founder and CEO Qasar Younis added: “Applied Intuition is in the business of enabling our OEM customers to deploy next-generation technology in their vehicles. In this case, we’re advancing commercial trucking autonomy with Isuzu. 

“What’s different about Applied Intuition versus other companies in our ecosystem is we don’t succeed if our customers don’t succeed. Because of that, we look forward to helping one of the largest truck OEMs in the world simultaneously address needs in commercial trucking and develop in-house capabilities.”

Related:Isuzu, Gatik to Mass-Produce Driverless Trucks

Isuzu’s partnership with Applied Intuition follows a separate deal with another Silicon Valley firm Gatik that was confirmed in May which will see the pair work together to mass produce autonomous Low Cab Forward trucks for the US market at a new facility from 2027.

And in March, Isuzu announced it was investing nearly $40 billion in fellow Japanese company TIER IV to develop autonomous buses.