Japan Will Let Up to 100 Driverless Cars Roam Freely Ahead of Olympics

(Bloomberg) -- For seven days next July, before Japan kicks off the Summer Olympics, Tokyo will let dozens of driverless vehicles roam freely around the competition venues in the city’s waterfront area to promote the nascent technology.

As many as 100 self-driving cars will ferry up to 7,000 passengers in the week starting July 6, said Seigo Kuzumaki, director for the Japanese government’s autonomous-vehicle program. Carmakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. as well as parts manufacturers and startups are participating, he said.

The largest driverless-vehicle trial in Japan so far is meant to showcase the country’s strengths in the field. From next month through 2022, Japan will run a slew of tests on public roads in Tokyo, involving cars from 28 companies and institutions. The country has a goal for fully autonomous vehicles to start selling in 2025.

Also during the sporting event, more than a dozen Toyota robot vehicles will run a continuous loop within the Olympic and Paralympic Village to shuttle athletes and staff. Another self-driving Toyota vehicle, known as Concept-i and packed with artificial-intelligence technology, will accompany torch relay runners.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ma Jie in Tokyo at jma124@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, Ville Heiskanen, Reed Stevenson

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