Japanese engineering consulting firm Nippon Koei will start an experiment of automated vehicles in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. The experiment will take place at a large-scale redevelopment area in suburban Hanoi, in collaboration with a subsidiary of Ecopark Group, a major real estate developer in Vietnam and a local tech company which is engaged in the development of self-driving cars. The companies aim to improve access to the center of the city and to participate in the smart city development. The experiment is scheduled to be undertaken until December 14th, with an aim of launching a commercial service by the end of 2023.

The self-driving vehicles developed by Phenikaa X will be operated within a 2km radius of the Eco Park Project, a large-scale redevelopment project in the suburbs of Hanoi. The project will contribute to optimizing operational costs and improving accessibility by combining Nippon Koei’s extensive knowledge and technological capabilities in mobility and urban planning accumulated in Japan and overseas.

Eco Park Project is located about 20 kilometers southeast of central Hanoi. It has a total development area of 500 hectares, with residential and commercial facilities, offices, universities, and hospitals. Since the start of the development, the project has been adopting smart city technologies. The population is about 20,000 and is expected to increase to 110,000 by 2030. (2021/12/08)