Seminar: Robotaxi, Automated Truck, and Bus Business Viability by Hikaru Todoroki

The New Social System Research Institute (SSK) announces a seminar on July 7, 2026, titled "Can the Robotaxi, Automated Driving Truck, and Bus Business Be Viable? - The Economics of Automated Driving Level 4 and the Roadmap to 2036." The session will be led by Hikaru Todoroki, Principal at KPMG Consulting. Available via Zoom live stream and a two-week archive, the seminar tackles whether automated driving is nearing completion from a cost perspective rather than a technological one. While Level 4 automated driving approaches practical application, technological feasibility and business sustainability are separate issues. The seminar will examine the total costs—including operational costs and expenses to prove and maintain the Operational Design Domain (ODD)—for robotaxis, highway-limited trucks, and route buses. This analysis clarifies which areas are truly sustainable and whether applying Level 4 to passenger cars offers realistic user value. By defining the limits of Level 4, the seminar will reveal why Level 5 is extremely difficult to achieve. It concludes by presenting a realistic roadmap for automated driving toward 2036, offering specific perspectives for investment, policy, and management decisions.