Toray Industries and Tokyo-based T2 will begin a long-haul autonomous truck trial on a key expressway route connecting eastern and western Japan. The initiative will evaluate whether using T2’s self-driving trucks to transport Toray products can help address Japan’s growing driver shortage while advancing more sustainable logistics solutions.
The trial will cover a 440-kilometer route between the Tomei Expressway’s Ayase Smart Interchange in Kanagawa Prefecture and the Shin-Meishin Expressway’s Ibaraki-Sendaiji Interchange in Osaka. Four test runs are scheduled from September 16, 2025, through April 2026. T2, which launched commercial operations with Level 2 autonomous trucks in July 2025, aims to roll out long-haul services using Level 4 models by 2027.
For this pilot, the trucks will transport Toray’s Toyolac acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin from its Chiba Plant to Shibusawa Logistics Corporation’s Ibaraki center in western Japan. Alongside testing autonomous capabilities, the trial will also focus on expanding the use of low-carbon fuels.
Through a partnership between T2 and seven petroleum companies, Usami Koyu and Sanwa Energy will supply B5 diesel, a 5 percent biodiesel blend, while Itochu Enex will provide renewable diesel made largely from waste cooking oil and animal and vegetable fats. This advanced fuel is effectively carbon dioxide–free.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has recognized the project as part of its program to accelerate green industry growth. With this backing, T2 will experiment with the fuels in 2025 and work on streamlining refueling operations.
Insights gained from the initiative are expected to inform future collaboration between Toray and T2, potentially paving the way for commercial adoption of long-haul Level 4 autonomous truck transportation.
