In the latter half of fiscal 2024*, MONET Technologies Inc.—a joint venture with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), Toyota Motor Corporation and other Japan-based automotive manufacturers—plans to launch an autonomous mobility service that will run on the public roads of Tokyo Waterfront City. The service will use Level 2 self-driving, under which the vehicle controls steering, acceleration and deceleration while a human sits in the driver’s seat if there is a need to take over control.
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The year ending March 31, 2025
MONET Technologies’ autonomous mobility service will initially use two Toyota Sienna minivans to provide transportation to the Ariake, Daiba and Aomi areas, a district the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has designated to encourage the social acceptance of autonomous driving.

Toyota Sienna minivan to be used in service
Later in fiscal 2024, the general public will be able to reserve rides on demand by using the “MONET” app at no charge. Each minivan will be able to seat up to five passengers (not including the driver) and travel at speeds of up to 40kmph. In the future, MONET Technologies plans to make it possible for passengers to book rides with other ride-hailing apps, expand the service area and number of vehicles, as well as develop a system to remotely monitor dozens of autonomous vehicles.
Building on this service, MONET Technologies will continue to collaborate with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and other government agencies to promote the social implementation of autonomous driving services.
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(Posted on September 10, 2024)
by SoftBank News Editors