Japan Launches a Development Project for Self-Driving EV Taxis

This story originally appeared on WIRED Japan and has been translated from Japanese. A project to develop autonomous vehicles for self-driving taxis has begun in earnest in Japan. The plan put forward by Tier IV, a startup specializing in autonomous-driving technology, has been selected for a demonstration project by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Now, a prototype development project has officially begun. Tier IV became known for developing open-source self-driving software and conducting demonstrations of self-driving taxis in May and June in Odaiba, an entertainment district of Tokyo.