{
  "id": 10640298,
  "title": "Autonomous A2Z bets on driverless shuttles as self-driving technology gets practical",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/autonomous-a2z-bets-on-driverless-shuttles-as-self-driving-technology",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-29T05:09:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "e27",
    "slug": "e27",
    "url": "https://e27.co/autonomous-a2z-bets-on-driverless-shuttles-as-self-driving-technology-gets-practical-20260929/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Korea's Autonomous A2Z is betting on driverless shuttles to bring autonomous driving from a lofty promise to practical transportation. This is a far cry from the numerous setbacks that have plagued the autonomous vehicle industry in recent years. The company has tackled the complex issue of self-driving technology by building a comprehensive autonomous driving business, encompassing software, vehicle design, manufacturing, fleet management, and remote operations.\n\nAt the heart of Autonomous A2Z's offerings is the ROii, a fully autonomous Level 4 shuttle devoid of any driver's seat, steering wheel, or pedals. Level 4 signifies that the vehicle can operate autonomously within specific routes and conditions, a more achievable goal than the elusive goal of self-driving vehicles on every road and in all weather conditions. According to Minsang Yu, Chief Strategy Officer at Autonomous A2Z, the company's focus is on transforming Level 4 autonomous driving technology into viable transportation.\n\nAutonomous A2Z's strategy is rooted in the company's South Korean origins, which provide access to a robust manufacturing industry, semiconductor expertise, sensors, robotics, AI, and precision components. These resources have enabled the company to assemble over 1.1 million kilometers of public-road driving data, allowing for extensive validation of the system in diverse conditions before expanding to overseas markets.\n\nThe company has already entered Singapore, Japan, and the UAE, with notable achievements in Singapore where it secured a government project for technology validation. In Japan, Autonomous A2Z conducted a robotaxi pilot with a local transport operator and is exploring further trials. In the UAE, the company signed a contract worth over US$6.8 million to supply vehicles and an integrated fleet management system.\n\nAutonomous A2Z's full-stack model, which integrates the vehicle platform, autonomous driving system, remote operations, and fleet management, is a key advantage in adapting to different markets. The company is also developing a hybrid end-to-end approach, combining rule-based driving with AI-based learning and decision-making. This hybrid method aims to balance safety, flexibility, and regulatory compliance, which is particularly crucial in cities where unforeseen events and unpredictable driver behavior often occur.",
  "summary": "For much of the past decade, autonomous driving has been a story of bold promises followed by hard resets. Robotaxis were meant to flood cities by now. Instead, the industry has learned that driving without a human behind the wheel is not one problem, but thousands of edge cases stitched together: pedestrians who cross unpredictably, […] The post Autonomous A2Z bets on driverless shuttles as…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}