NTT planning to test driverless vehicle tech with Toyota

Japan’s NTT has announced that it has plans to embark on driverless vehicle technology testing in collaboration with Toyota and invest in a US-based startup specialising in self-driving systems. A spokesperson for NTT revealed that the company’s goals include conducting tests with autonomous buses and taxis by as early as 2025 and allocating approximately ¥10 billion (equivalent to R1.2 billion) to support the US startup, May Mobility. This development underscores the increasing momentum behind self-driving technology in Japan.

The initial report on NTT’s investment in May Mobility was first published by the Nikkei newspaper, which also suggested joint vehicle development efforts with both NTT and Toyota. However, spokespeople from NTT and Toyota have refuted these claims and stated that there are no current plans for such collaborative development. Toyota did not provide further comments.

May Mobility has previously attracted investments from Japanese companies. Last year, insurer Tokio Marine participated in a US$111 million funding round for the Michigan-based firm, and a Toyota-affiliated venture capital unit co-led a seed investment in the company in 2018.

NTT’s increasing involvement in autonomous driving technology coincides with Honda’s announcement in October of its intention to establish a joint venture with General Motors and their robo-taxi subsidiary, Cruise. Honda aims to launch a driverless ride service in Japan by early 2026.

Last month, that Cruise temporarily suspended all of its driverless vehicle operations in the United States due to an accident that prompted California regulators to order the removal of Cruise’s autonomous cars from state roads.