AISAN TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD. and A-Drive will continue participating in Mie Prefecture's Ise City autonomous bus project, following their participation last fiscal year. Using the Minibus2.0 purchased by Ise City, they will conduct AI training runs and general test rides to advance verification toward the social implementation of Level 4 autonomy.
AISAN TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD. and its group company A-Drive have announced that they will continue participating in the autonomous bus operating project conducted by Ise City, Mie Prefecture. Participation will continue from the previous fiscal year, with the specific proof-of-concept framework maintained.
This fiscal year, the project will use the Minibus2.0 autonomous electric bus manufactured by Tier IV and purchased by Ise City. AI training runs and general test rides under Level 2 autonomous driving will be conducted on the route connecting Kintetsu Isuzugawa Station and Naiku-mae. During AI training runs, a driver will operate the vehicle manually to collect data, building knowledge for the future social implementation of Level 4 autonomy.
Ise City is advancing the introduction of autonomous buses to address a shortage of drivers and secure sustainable public transport. Verification is under way for route operations in 2026. Last fiscal year, the project verified aspects including adaptation to roadside environments through a Level 2 proof-of-concept.
The proof-of-concept route is Kintetsu Isuzugawa Station–Naiku-mae. The vehicle is 1 Minibus2.0, the implementation period is 2 November 2026 to 22 February 2027, and general test rides are scheduled for around February 2027.