Toyota Group companies Denso, Aisin forming self-driving tech group
Lexus has said it will put autonomous tech on the roads by 2020.
The as-yet-unnamed joint venture will supply components to Toyota and other automakers.
Several Toyota Group companies will form a joint-venture to develop self-driving technology, according to Japan's Nikkei. By working together, the companies would reportedly be able to develop "integrated packages of self-driving systems" for future vehicles. Those "packages" would combine steering, braking and acceleration control with artificial intelligence technology.
The joint venture is said to include Jtekt, Advics, Aisin Seiki and Denso, with the latter holding the majority stake. Nikkei reports that in addition to supplying components to Toyota, the joint venture would hope to sell its self-driving technologies to other automakers around the world. The joint venture could be established by the end of this year.
Toyota is, like most major automakers, investing heavily in the research and development of future autonomous technologies. It plans to launch Level 3 autonomy, called Highway Teammate, under the Lexus brand in 2020. And at the 2020 Olympics, Toyota will supply running versions of its e-Palette self-driving car concept.
The automaker has in recent years invested in artificial-intelligence research in Silicon Valley and Michigan. Earlier this year, it established a division called Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development in Tokyo with Denso and Aisin to further develop self-driving software. It's also been rumored that Uber would sell some of its self-driving technologies to Toyota.
