Macnica has obtained approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for its autonomous driving EV bus "EVO," which is currently operating regularly in Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and is certified as an autonomous driving vehicle (Level 4).

Macnica (Headquarters: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Kazumasa Hara; hereinafter Macnica) has been working toward Level 4 EV buses autonomous driving through "EVO," which is in regular operation in Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture (Mayor: Kenji Fujita), and on March 25 received approval from the Kanto District Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to operate autonomous driving vehicles (Level 4) without a driver on some sections of its route (public roads). The autonomous driving EV Bus "EVO" is the first EV bus in Japan to be approved for Level 4 driving on public roads.
This approval is based on the Road Trucking Vehicle Law as a autonomous driving vehicle (Level 4), and after obtaining permission for specified automatic operation based on the Road Traffic Law, we will continue preparations for autonomous driving Level 4 operation, in which the system performs all driving operations within the driving environment conditions granted this time.

<"EVO" autonomous driving electric bus (manufactured by Navya Mobility) which has obtained Level 4 certification>

■Background/purpose
In Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, in the "Eastern District" where commercial and business land development is underway in the central urban area, regular operation of the autonomous driving electric bus "EVO" began on February 16, 2024, with the aim of responding to diverse transportation needs, building an environmentally friendly transportation system, and creating an attractive city through integration with next-generation technologies. After route expansion and an increase in the number of buses in operation, the service currently operates with two buses, providing a vital mode of transportation for citizens to improve transportation convenience and promote the use of public transport. By the end of February 2026, a cumulative total of 14,000 people had used the service.

■ Overview of this regular operation and routes subject to Level 4 authorization
Schedule: Two buses will begin regular simultaneous operation from February 18, 2025 (Tuesday).
Location: Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture
Number of flights: 6 flights per day (3 flights each on the southbound and northbound routes)
Vehicle: autonomous driving EV bus "EVO" (manufactured by Navya Mobility) ^*)
Route: The route will circle around Hitachiota City Hall, Hitachiota Station, and the eastern part of Hitachiota City.
Level 4 authorization routes: See diagram below.

<Figure: Overall regular operating route and Level 4 approved routes (within the green dotted line frame)>

■Future Development
Macnica Through this authorization, autonomous driving will work with many stakeholders to obtain "Level 4 travel area expansion," "permission for specified automatic operation under the Road Traffic Law," and "business operation permission under the Road Transport Law" in order to realize social implementation of autonomous driving service (Level 4) in FY2027 in this region, as well as to utilize EV buses in cooperation with many stakeholders. We will promote the creation of transportation services that users can use with peace of mind.
In addition, demonstration experiments using the autonomous driving EV Bus "EVO" have been conducted in many areas in Japan by this fiscal year, and we will utilize the knowledge acquired through this approval to expand our support for the acquisition of Level 4 operation approval sequentially in the next fiscal year and beyond.

*Navya Mobility, headquartered in France, is a pioneer in autonomous driving mobility solutions with over 140 engineers specializing in autonomous driving software development, vehicle implementation, and operation. It is a leading company with over 200 autonomous driving electric buses sold in 26 countries worldwide. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of Macnica in June 2024.

<Reference information>
Press release dated February 17, 2025
The Navya EVO, a Level 4 autonomous driving bus, has begun regular operation in Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, marking the world's first instance of two buses operating on a regular schedule.
https://www.macnica.co.jp/public-relations/news/2025/147007/

Press release dated February 16, 2024
The new NAVYA autonomous electric bus, compliant with Level 4 autonomous driving standards, has begun regular operation on public roads in Japan, the first such instance.
https://www.macnica.co.jp/public-relations/news/2024/144849/

*Company names and product names mentioned in this text are trademarks or registered trademarks of Macnica and each company.
*The information published in the news release (including product price, specifications, etc.) is current as of the date of announcement. Please note that the information may be subject to change without prior notice.