The Nikkei reports that Isuzu Motors will jointly develop self-driving trucks capable of full automation under certain conditions with US vehicle software startup Applied Intuition, aiming to put the vehicles on Japanese highways from fiscal 2027.

Isuzu President Shinsuke Minami told Nikkei that the automaker's collaboration with Applied Intuition has solidified its plans, laid out in April, to start Level 4 truck and bus operations in fiscal 2027. Vehicles capable of Level 4 automation can handle most driving situations without human intervention.

Applied Intuition is also collaborating with OEMs such as Nissan Motors, Audi and Porsche and Tier 1s such as Valeo to develop driver assistance systems. In March, Applied Intuition raised a $250-million Series E financing round at a $6-billion valuation. This was followed in July by a secondary round of more than $300 million.

Isuzu will use Applied Intuition’s technology to give its heavy-duty Giga trucks self-driving capability for such tasks as runs between between warehouses.