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Auve Tech makes Estonia’s first-ever autonomous car sale to Japan

Estonia's tech company Auve Tech has sold its new-generation self-driving vehicle, MiCa, to Japan, marking history for the emerging Estonian autonomous tech sector.

Auve Tech has sold its first new-generation autonomous vehicle, MiCa, to Japan. This is the first time in modern history that an Estonian-made car has been exported to this market, marking a success for the Estonian R&D and engineering sectors.

Riding into global competition

Designed to provide last-mile transportation in dense and pre-mapped areas, it will now prove itself in one of the most advanced and competitive automotive markets. Japan is the third-largest automotive producer in the world, with 78 factories and 5,5M employees. The country exports over 3M vehicles annually.

Described as a time machine that helps us leap into a new era of technology, MiCa will be received by Auve Tech’s partner Boldly, a subsidiary of Softbank and Japanese market leader in autonomous transport services. Boldly develops operation systems and provides services for autonomous driving mobility and has already tested its autonomous bus.

MiCa was presented in October 2022 and is packed with cutting-edge tech. Compared to Auve Tech’s previous model, Iseauto, MiCa was equipped with seven LiDAR sensors and ten cameras to provide 360-degree visibility of its surroundings. The risk of errors has been minimised with the help of doubled critical systems on board.

“The new generation autonomous vehicle MiCa is designed to see and perceive everything around it in 360 degrees,” said Väino Kaldoja, the founder of Auve Tech. “We have based the development of the car on the need to bring the security operator out of the vehicle and create the ability for one operator to monitor several vehicles at the same time.”

Matsumura Yukihiko and Väino Kaldoja

MiCa is also environmentally friendly and electric, making it suitable for use in urban environments. The spacious design of the vehicle provides room for more passengers than a regular passenger car.

The sale of the first Estonian-made car to Japan is a significant milestone for Auve Tech. “The fact that the fruit of the development work of Estonian engineers is competitive in Japan is a great compliment to Estonia as a whole,” stated Japanese Ambassador Matsumura Yukihiko.

Previously Auve Tech’s autonomous vehicles have been transporting passengers in 12 countries, ushering in the post-car era by offering a more sustainable and efficient way to commute.

If you’re passionate about sustainable transport developed in Estonia – get in touch via our e-Consulting service — and maybe you can catch a ride on Estonia’s next unicorn.

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