Toyota to Offer Rides in SAE Level-4 Automated Vehicles on Public Roads in Japan Next Summer

TOKYO, Oct 24, 2019 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Research Institute (TRI) announced today that its Platform 4 (P4) automated driving test vehicle will be available for public demonstration rides next summer in Tokyo. Offered from July to September 2020, the P4 will demonstrate Toyota's "Chauffeur" SAE Level-4 capabilities in a specific "mobility as a service" (MaaS) driving environment.

The P4 experience will take place in Tokyo's Odaiba district, a busy and often congested waterfront subcenter. Odaiba's complex environment of pedestrians, vehicle traffic, diverse road infrastructure, and tall glass buildings provide a challenging setting in which to demonstrate the capabilities of Toyota's automated driving technology. The public will be invited to register for the experience, and individuals will be selected to participate. In accordance with Japanese law, a Safety Driver will be present during the experience.

"By challenging ourselves to successfully operate autonomously in Odaiba, we have set a high bar that requires us to rapidly expand the capabilities of our technology in a short amount of time," said TRI CEO Gill Pratt. "To accomplish that, we are working closely with the Advanced R&D Division of Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development (TRI-AD) based in Tokyo, who is responsible for bringing the P4's automated driving software to the public."

TRI has been testing the P4 in the United States at its Ottawa Lake, Mich. closed-course test facility. There, TRI replicated Odaiba's most challenging infrastructure characteristics and driving scenarios for which the P4 will have to navigate autonomously. Further testing of P4 software is being conducted on public roads in Odaiba and around TRI's Ann Arbor, Mich. and Los Altos, Calif. research offices.

Introduced at CES 2019, the P4 test vehicle is based on the fifth-generation Lexus LS sedan. It is being used in TRI's research and development of both "Toyota GuardianTM" active safety and "Chauffeur" automated driving applications.

About Toyota Research Institute

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) is led by Dr. Gill Pratt. The company, established in 2015, aims to strengthen Toyota's research structure and develop active vehicle safety and automated driving technologies, robotics, and other human amplification technology. Our researchers are using artificial intelligence to benefit society and improve the human condition by creating a future where everyone has the freedom to move, engage, and explore. TRI is based in the United States, with offices in Los Altos, Calif., Cambridge, Mass., and Ann Arbor, Mich. For more information about TRI, please visit http://tri.global.

About Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development, Inc.

Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development, Inc. (TRI-AD) focusses on the advanced development of software for automated driving efforts. Its mission is to build the world's safest automated driving car, as well as strengthening coordination with the research results of Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and research and advanced development within the Toyota Group. Activities include developing automated driving software, leveraging data-handling capabilities and creating a straight line from research to commercialization. See more at www.tri-ad.global.

About Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
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Public Affairs Division Global Communications Department Toyota Motor Corporation Tel: +81-3-3817-9926