Toyota to set up JV to develop automated driving software

March 3, 2018

Nagoya- Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday it will set up a joint venture with Denso Corp. and Aisin Seiki Co.later this month to develop automated driving software.

The move is designed to accelerate the development of automated driving technology and put it into practical use at an early date.

The new company, Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development, or TRI-AD, will have a staff of about 1,000 employees, including foreign engineers. TRI-AD will use English as its official language.

The three Japanese companies plan to invest more than 300 billion yen in TRI-AD, which will be owned 90 pct by Toyota and 5 pct each by Denso and Aisin.

James Kuffner, chief technology officer of Toyota Research Institute Inc., will assume the post of chief executive officer at TRI-AD, which will be located at Toyota's Tokyo head office.

Toyota aims to enable automated driving on expressways by 2020 and on other public roads in the early 2020s. Jiji Press