Japan to Test Self-Driving Trucks on Regular Roads in FY2027, Aiming for Level 4 Commercialization by FY2028 The Japanese government has decided to conduct demonstration tests for the commercialization of self-driving trucks between designated logistics hubs, expanding from current expressway-only operations to include regular roads, starting in fiscal 2027. Test routes and participating companies will be selected during fiscal 2026. Because regular roads demand more sophisticated driving technology than expressways, the government determined that such testing is essential for building a long-haul logistics network. Based on insights gained from these tests, the government aims to commercialize Level 4 autonomous trucks—full self-driving under specific conditions—by fiscal 2028. The tests are expected to take place in the Greater Tokyo, Chubu, and Kansai regions. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will commission surveys to private companies and select routes based on criteria such as proximity between expressway interchanges (ICs) and logistics hubs, as well as road visibility conditions. To operate autonomously on regular roads from expressway ICs to logistics hubs, establishing technology that accounts for pedestrians and cyclists will be a key challenge. The government has previously focused on running tests between service areas (SAs) on expressways to achieve Level 4 long-haul trucking. Since March 2025, a dedicated lane for autonomous vehicles has been in operation on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture between the Suruga Bay Numazu SA and Hamamatsu SA. Together with private companies, the government is currently conducting Level 2 autonomous driving tests, where a driver can take manual control when necessary. Toward the commercialization of Level 4 trucks, private companies including Mitsubishi Estate are also developing logistics hubs directly connected to expressway ICs, creating a framework that avoids regular-road driving altogether. However, most of these hubs are not expected to be completed until the 2030s, and suitable