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RoboTruck Inc. Completes 260-Kilometer Autonomous Driving Demonstration Between the Kanto and Chubu Regions

July 31, 2026

TOKYO, Japan -- July 31, 2026 -- RoboTruck Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yusuke Haga) has completed a 260 km autonomous driving test on a public highway. The demonstration covered the route from Atsugi-Minami IC in Kanagawa Prefecture to Toyota JCT in Aichi Prefecture. The vehicle completed the entire distance seamlessly, requiring no intervention by the test driver.

A full video of the demonstration is available on our YouTube:

【RoboTruck】Autonomous Driving Truck Test: Kanto to Chubu (~260 km) (1x Speed)

https://youtu.be/0KqJvlugJAk

【RoboTruck】Autonomous Driving Truck Test: Kanto to Chubu (~260 km) (50x Speed)

https://youtu.be/DDd7FLuLyAs?si=Wpvc_luP1K84IEkl

1. Demonstration Overview

Background of the Demonstration

RoboTruck is a ‘system company’ developing autonomous driving systems for heavy-duty trucks. We aim to provide solutions where logistics operators themselves lead autonomous transport operations, facing the severe labor shortages and declining transport capacity—often referred to as Japan’s '2024 Logistics Crisis'.

Since our founding in 2024, we have participated in the following government demonstration projects:

“Support Project for the Development and Demonstration of Unmanned Automated Driving to Promote Mobility DX”
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

“Demonstration Project Toward Social Implementation of Autonomous Driving Trucks for Trunk Transport”
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)

To realize the social implementation of Level 4 autonomous driving systems, we have accumulated a track record of highway testing between the Kanto and Chubu regions with safety drivers on board through these projects. Furthermore, under the MLIT demonstration project, we have conducted autonomous driving trials with semi-trailer trucks, which require higher vehicle control complexity.

                                                                      

Demonstration Overview

Demonstration Date: May 2026
Route: Atsugi-Minami IC to Toyota JCT (approx. 260 km)
Activity: Autonomous driving on a highway
Note: The demonstration was conducted under conditions where a driver was on board to ensure safety and could intervene in driving operations if necessary.

Targeted at the social implementation of autonomous trucks in logistics, this demonstration executed a long-distance run of approximately 260 km on the highway between Atsugi-Minami IC and Toyota JCT.

Demonstration scenarios contained a comprehensive range of operational tasks required for long-distance, continuous autonomous driving. Under the conditions of this demonstration, we confirmed that the system operated as intended and performed stably across all evaluated tasks, including:

· Stable main-lane driving
· Maintaining vehicle spacing and lane centering
· Left-lane priority driving
· Automated main-lane merging· Overtaking slower-moving vehicles
· Route selection, branching, and re-merging at highway junctions
· Responding to cut-in vehicles

    

2. Demonstration Tour for Relevant Ministries and Investors

As part of this demonstration, we hosted a tour event for key stakeholders, including officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), and several investors.

Attendees highly praised the truck's safe and seamless on-road performance. Furthermore, the event fostered active exchanges of ideas on both technical and operational challenges ahead, for future commercial implementation.

                                            

Comments from Participants

Hidenobu Kubota
Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs, Minister's Secretariat, MLIT

" We hold high expectations for Japan-made autonomous driving technologies . Through this demonstration, I felt that RoboTruck is a company that is steadily building up fundamental technologies. In the world of autonomous driving, even an event that occurs only once in a million times can stop research and development. As RoboTruck aims for the social implementation of its technology, I expect them to continue to proceed with development and demonstrations that balance both speed and safety."

Makoto Kuroyabu
Director, Mobility Digital Transformation Office, Automobile Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau, METI

"This was my first time seeing an autonomous truck driving live on the road in person. I was deeply impressed by how smoothly and safely it handled merging, deceleration, and overtaking. Making driverless transport between logistics hubs a reality is crucial for overcoming Japan's social issues. To achieve this, trucks need to navigate not only highways but also the public roads that connect to these hubs. I understand that RoboTruck is expanding its drivable areas by combining rule-based and AI-based technologies. METI will continue to strongly support their efforts to roll out Level 4 autonomous driving."

3. Future Outlook

Within the "Comprehensive Logistics Policy Outline" approved by the Cabinet at the end of last fiscal year, the Japanese government established guidelines targeting the "deployment of 1,000 autonomous trucks by FY2030." In the field of "Digital Technologies and Cybersecurity," one of the 17 strategic fields in Japan's Growth Strategy, it furthermore encourages the "early social implementation of driverless operations via combining rule-based and E2E (End-to-End) approaches" alongside the "mass production of autonomous trucks equipped with domestic autonomous driving systems."

Aligned with government policies, our company will develop a Level 4 autonomous driving system that prioritizes safety while ensuring an optimal balance of development speed and viability, integrally building vehicle redundancy, safety evaluations, and operational frameworks for early commercialization. We will leverage our proven rule -based system while actively incorporating new technologies, including E2E and world models.

Our goal is to launch a Japan-made Level 4 autonomous driving system that comprehensively covers from long-haul transportation on highways to public roads connecting to logistics hubs.

About RoboTruck

Company: RoboTruck Inc.
Headquarters: Odanaka Bldg., 1-15-11 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Representative: Yusuke Haga, CEO
Established: April 15, 2024
Business: Research and development of autonomous driving systems for trucks
Official Website: https://robotruck.jp/company.html

Media Contact

Business Development and Public Relations Division, RoboTruck Inc.
Email: info@robotruck.jp

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