- Idemitsu Renewable Diesel supports autonomous truck biofuel validation.
- Three companies expand sustainable highway freight operations together.
Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd, Isuzu Motors Limited, and T2 Inc. have announced a collaboration to accelerate the adoption of next-generation biodiesel fuel in commercial transport. Beginning this summer, T2 will operate its highway-tested autonomous truck using Idemitsu Renewable Diesel (IRD), a biofuel produced from used cooking oil and vegetable oil. The demonstration project aims to validate the fuel under real-world freight operations while supporting lower greenhouse-gas emissions and expanding the practical use of renewable fuels in Japan.
According to the three companies, IRD can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by approximately 80% compared with conventional diesel fuel. The demonstration is intended to confirm operational performance while promoting wider adoption of renewable diesel across commercial transportation. For Idemitsu Kosan, which has previously supplied IRD for applications including construction equipment, this represents the first public-road demonstration involving trucks operating with the renewable fuel under commercial conditions.
Autonomous truck demonstration using renewable diesel
T2 will deploy the renewable diesel in its commercial operations using a Level 2 advanced driver assistance autonomous truck already provided to truck delivery companies. The verification program will cover an approximately 500-kilometre highway route connecting the Kanto and Kansai regions. During the trial, the participating companies will assess vehicle operation and fuel performance while gathering practical data to support broader commercialization of renewable diesel solutions for long-distance freight transportation.
Key Details of the Biofuel Demonstration Project
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Partners | Idemitsu Kosan, Isuzu Motors, T2 |
| Fuel | Idemitsu Renewable Diesel (IRD) |
| Feedstock | Used cooking oil and vegetable oil |
| Emission Reduction | Approximately 80% versus conventional diesel |
| Vehicle | Level 2 autonomous truck |
| Route | Around 500 km between Kanto and Kansai |
Project objectives
The initiative focuses on demonstrating that renewable diesel can be integrated into autonomous freight operations without changing the technical characteristics of the truck deployment. Through commercial highway operations, the companies aim to verify fuel usability, operational reliability, and environmental benefits while encouraging broader acceptance of biofuel within the logistics sector. The results are expected to support future expansion of lower-carbon transportation solutions across commercial vehicle applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the Idemitsu Renewable Diesel autonomous truck demonstration?
The project brings together Idemitsu Kosan, Isuzu Motors, and T2 to validate the practical use of Idemitsu Renewable Diesel in commercial autonomous truck operations. Using renewable diesel produced from used cooking oil and vegetable oil, the companies will evaluate operational performance over an approximately 500-kilometre highway route while confirming the fuel's ability to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by around 80% compared with conventional diesel and support wider adoption of sustainable freight transportation.
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