How Will Autonomous Vehicles Change the World? The Latest Issue of 'Transport and Economy' Focusing on the Present and Future of Autonomous Driving to be Released on June 9, 2026

The Institute of Transport Economics (Shinjuku, Tokyo; Chairman: Makoto Takahashi) will release the June issue of its specialized research journal, 'Transport and Economy,' on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. The feature theme is 'The Future of Cars: The World Brought by Autonomous Vehicles.' As the adoption of autonomous vehicles progresses in the U.S. and China, demonstration experiments for the social implementation of autonomous buses and taxis are also intensifying across Japan. Can the introduction of autonomous vehicles be a solution to social issues such as ensuring stable logistics, improving labor shortages, and providing regional transportation? The latest issue of 'Transport and Economy' discusses the present and future of autonomous vehicles through round-table discussions, articles, and interviews. This feature consists of an editorial by the magazine's editorial committee, a round-table discussion by experts, interviews with operators, and five academic articles. In the round-table discussion featuring Mr. Kunitoshi of the autonomous logistics startup T2 and Professor Iryo of Nagoya University, they discussed the current state of autonomous driving both domestically and internationally, business model construction, cross-industry collaboration, and human-robot cooperation, considering social issues like the '2024 Logistics Problem.' In an interview with Mr. Asai of Michinori Holdings, he discussed the 'Hitachi BRT,' which began Japan's first Level 4 autonomous driving service in 2025, covering its objectives, cost and staffing challenges, and future prospects. The issue also includes various serial columns on railway history, tourism train businesses, and financial strategies.