Vehicle manufacturer Isuzu Motors has invested US$30m in autonomous tech company Gatik AI, Inc, to develop autonomous driving logistics in North America, with the aim of launching a Level 4 autonomous commercial vehicle business by 2027.
The partnership will focus on the development of autonomous commercial trucks that do not require an onboard human driver. It will concentrate on middle-mile autonomous driving and involve the design and development of a new, safety-focused chassis compatible with autonomous driving systems.
Through this collaboration, Isuzu aims to enter the middle-mile autonomous driving market in the LCF segment, where it already holds a strong position in the USA and Canada. This initiative is expected to help address industry challenges such as driver shortages and rising delivery demands. The companies will jointly design and develop a new chassis, targeting mass production by 2027.
Gautam Narang, CEO and co-founder of Gatik, said, “This partnership, coupled with Isuzu’s investment in Gatik, signals the company’s confidence in our technology and our world-class team, and we’re excited to bring autonomous transportation to the market at significant scale in the coming years.”
Hiroshi Sato, executive officer of Isuzu, added, “As part of our April 2024 mid-term business plan announcement, we are committed to establishing three pillars of new business for the future: autonomous driving solutions, connected services and carbon neutral solutions. As part of our efforts to develop autonomous driving solutions, we’re delighted to be expanding our relationship with Gatik to be operation ready in 2027.”