A social traffic experiment to introduce next-generation mobility will be conducted in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Aiming for early social implementation to realize "Kure, a city where tourists can enjoy autonomous driving mobility."

Macnica (Headquarters: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Kazumasa Hara; hereinafter Macnica) will continue to provide vehicles and support the operation of autonomous driving EV Buses in a social experiment for the introduction of next-generation mobility in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture this year as part of the "Comprehensive Collaborative Agreement for Supporting Challenges of Young People Leading the Next Generation" signed in March 2023 with the City of Kure (Mayor: Yoshiaki Niihara), Hiroshima Prefecture. We will provide vehicles and operational support for the EV buses in the social experiment.

■Social transport experiment aimed at introducing next-generation mobility
As part of the "Creating a Compact City by Utilizing Advanced Technology," one of the aims of the comprehensive collaboration agreement, the two sides will conduct tests of autonomous driving electric buses on public roads in order to identify challenges in introducing next-generation mobility and to raise awareness among residents.
This year, the project will target the area south of Kure Station, starting from the Recreation Center, passing through the central pier and Viewport Kure, where the Yamato Museum Satellite is located, and will travel along a route that is expected to attract greater tourist demand, revitalizing the area and creating new foot traffic. Based on this year's traffic experiment, the project aims to achieve Level 4 autonomous driving, as defined by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, at an earlier stage from next year onwards, with the aim of implementing autonomous driving EV buses in society.
By collaborating and cooperating with organizations in Kure City and Hiroshima Prefecture in a variety of fields, Macnica aims to solve social issues, create new value, and revitalize the region.

■ Demonstration operation of new mobility utilizing autonomous driving technology, etc.
autonomous driving is when autonomous driving system uses LiDAR sensors and GPS location information systems to recognize the surrounding situation, make predictions and decisions, and then operate the steering wheel, accelerator, and brakes. The vehicle Macnica will provide is the Navya EVO ^{* 1} autonomous driving EV bus, which has no steering wheel, accelerator, or brake pedals. In addition, vehicle driving information and infrastructure information are visualized using Macnica 's remote operation management system, everfleet ^*2, allowing the real-time operating status of the autonomous driving EV bus to be monitored remotely.

■ Bus wrapping design unique to Kure City
The design, featuring light blue lines on a white background, is inspired by the vehicle design that was previously used as a Kure City bus until March 2012. The design was created in the hope that the next generation of autonomous driving will also become beloved by residents and tourists, just like the previous Kure City bus.

[Outline of this demonstration]
●Dates: Monday, December 15, 2025 - Sunday, December 21, 2025
●Time: 10:00-16:35 (7 flights per day) *Only on Monday, December 15th, flights will operate from the 4th flight onwards.

● autonomous driving vehicle: Navya Mobility's autonomous driving electric bus (EVO)
Capacity: 8 people per flight
●How to board: No advance reservations are required, and boarding will be on a first-come, first-served basis at the bus stop.
*You may not be able to board depending on the congestion situation.
●Fare: Free
●Route: In front of Recle Hall - Central Pier - In front of Viewport - In front of Recle Hall (see map below)

[Reference: Test drive event at Kure City Kure Central Elementary School]
Prior to the actual demonstration, a test drive event was held on November 13th in the school grounds of Kure Central Elementary School in Kure City for elementary school students who will shape the society of the future. Approximately 60 teachers and sixth graders actually rode in the next-generation mobility vehicles and experienced driving them around the school grounds. In addition, first through fifth graders test drove the vehicles parked there during recess, enjoying the interior space. Many of the sixth graders who experienced driving the actual vehicles expressed their excitement for next-generation mobility, saying things like, "I want to work in a job related to this vehicle in the future," "I can't wait to see this vehicle driving around Kure City," and "A car with no steering wheel or brakes makes me feel like I'm in the future."

● Related information
https://www.city.kure.lg.jp/soshiki/90/kuremobi2025.html

*1: EVO autonomous driving EV Bus (manufactured by Navya Mobility) The EVO is an autonomous driving shuttle bus equipped with an autonomous driving system. It is an EV (electric vehicle) and can travel autonomously for approximately 9 hours (100 km) on a single charge.

Vehicle size
Total length: 4,776mm Total height: 2,652mm
Overall width: 2,098mm Weight: 2,689kg
Number of passengers: 12
The number of occupants during the demonstration experiment was 10 (8 passengers, 1 driver, 1 security officer)
Power source: electric motor
Maximum speed: 18km/h (average speed during demonstration experiment: 15km/h)
autonomous driving level: Level 2 (technically equivalent to Level 3)
Other: In case of emergency, the driver will manually intervene

*2: Remote operation management system everfleet (manufactured by Macnica)
This is an integrated management platform for remotely monitoring passengers in the vehicle and the situation around the vehicle, with the aim of commercializing autonomous driving. It centrally visualizes vehicle location information, camera footage inside and outside the vehicle, and vehicle data such as vehicle speed, steering, and remaining battery level, and can also integrate external data linked to traffic infrastructure such as traffic lights. This allows for real-time understanding of operational status from remote locations, supporting the safe and secure operation of autonomous driving mobility. Furthermore, it can simultaneously manage a diverse group of vehicles distributed across multiple regions, and the system automatically detects and notifies users of abnormalities during operation, enabling efficient operation management by a single remote operator. This also contributes to improved operational efficiency and transportation profitability by reducing the number of personnel required.

*Product names mentioned in the text are trademarks or registered trademarks of Macnica and the respective companies.
*Information published in this news release (including product prices, specifications, etc.) is current as of the date of announcement. Please note that it may be subject to change without notice.

[Contact for inquiries regarding this matter]
Kawakatsu, Government Solutions Promotion Office Macnica
TEL: 045-470-9191
MAIL: gpo-sales@macnica.co.jp