Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan) - Introduction of eve auto, a transportation service using automated EVs suited for outdoor transportation.

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo:7272) is pleased to announce that the automated transportation service eve auto from the group company eve autonomy Co., Ltd. (hereinafter eve autonomy) has been introduced on a trial basis at Panasonic Group company's cold chain factory in the Oizumi area (Gunma Prefecture/hereinafter referred to as the factory). As a result, the number of trial introductions of the automated transport service eve auto has reached nine units in six companies, including the Yamaha Motor's factory.

eve auto is an automated transportation service via EV vehicle newly developed for the purpose of responding to the needs of automated transportation in closed spaces including indoor and outdoor environments. Based on land vehicles designed for outdoor use and an autonomous driving system, it can operate stably even in environments that are subject to some wind and rain, or with uneven road surfaces.

The factory manufactures cold chain products widely used in supermarkets and restaurants such as commercial refrigerators, refrigerating and freezer showcases, and beverage dispensers, etc. Several processes at the factory involve transporting parts across multiple buildings by a large number of manned forklifts and trucks. In this initiative, by replacing the forklift transportation method with an eve auto towing option, it is possible to save labor and improve safety levels when transporting larger parts such as over-sized and heavy refrigeration/freezer showcase panels.

Yamaha Motor designated several "New Businesses" and "Growth Businesses" as "Strategic Business Fields" in its new Medium-Term Management Plan (2022-2024) announced on February 10 this year. As part of managing its business portfolio, the Company will actively allocate management resources to these businesses in order to develop them into future core businesses. Low-speed automated vehicles fall under the plan's "New Business Fields" and by establishing technologies for automated driving under specific conditions, Yamaha Motor aims to achieve laborsaving's in logistics and commercialize the transport of goods.

Picture Caption:

Automated parts transfer using eve auto at the factory.