Japan To Launch Self-Driving Car Service In Tokyo By 2020

The Japanese government announced after a strategic review today that a self-driving car service could be launched in Tokyo in time for the 2020 Olympics. The country sees this as a method of driving new investment into the technology of the future to fuel economic growth. The government will then try to commercialize this self-driving car service by 2022.

Reuters reports that the government in Japan is planning to test a self-driving car service on public roads this fiscal year and aims to launch the service in 2020 in time for the Tokyo Olympics. Commercialization beyond the Olympics is expected to be achieved by 2022 at the earliest.

The efficacy of the self-driving car system will surely be put to the test during a global event at the scale of the Olympics which will bring in millions of people from across the globe to Tokyo.

Economists believe that the commercialization of self-driving car services will help businesses cope with an aging population in the country which is resulting in a decline in the workforce. However, it remains to be seen if the country will be able to implement the service in this ambitious timeframe considering the fact that it’s behind its Chinese, European, and U.S. counterparts in implementing such innovations.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Transportation
Tags: Self-Driving Cars