Macnica and Applied EV Team Up to Deploy Autonomous Driving Solutions Across Logistics and Industrial Operations

Macnica (headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Kazumasa Hara; hereinafter “Macnica”) today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Applied Electric Vehicles Ltd. (headquarters: Australia; CEO: Julian Broadbent; hereinafter “Applied EV”) to develop, commercialise, and deploy autonomous driving solutions, primarily for logistics and industrial applications.

■ Autonomous vehicles must be developed for different applications.

Recently, a wide range of sectors — including logistics, industry, and public transport — have been facing challenges such as severe driver shortages and rising operating costs. To address these issues, the development of autonomous driving technology is advancing across multiple industries. In particular, autonomous vehicles designed to transport passengers, such as cars and buses, are being actively developed.

However, in sectors such as logistics and industry, passenger-focused autonomous vehicles often do not meet operational requirements. As a result, purpose-built autonomous vehicles are needed for different applications. Developing autonomous vehicles for a wide range of use cases presents challenges, including fragmented development resources and overlapping investment, which can lead to significant inefficiencies.

Applied EV, which recently entered into a strategic partnership with Macnica, develops base platforms for autonomous vehicles. Since its founding, the company has focused on a modular, multi-purpose, cabinless electric vehicle platform. Macnica, with expertise spanning autonomous deployment and remote fleet operation, aims to accelerate the adoption of autonomous vehicles in the logistics and industrial sectors through this collaboration.

■ Configurable Cargo Bed and Software – Autonomous Vehicle ‘Blanc Robot™’

“Blanc Robot™” is a flatbed EV platform with no cabin and no driver controls, such as a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake pedals, representing a significant shift from the conventional concept of a vehicle. It was jointly developed by Applied EV and Suzuki Motor Corporation.

Its key feature is a modular architecture that allows both the cargo bed and autonomous driving software to be easily reconfigured to suit different applications. By using Blanc Robot™ as a base platform, autonomous vehicles for a wide range of logistics and industrial use cases can be developed efficiently.

In addition, the vehicle is fully controlled by onboard autonomous driving software, enabling Level 4 autonomous operation without the need for human intervention.

Currently, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) are widely used for automated transport in factories and warehouses. Blanc Robot™, however, is a unique autonomous vehicle platform capable of operating both indoors and outdoors, including on public roads (subject to Level 4 approval) and rough terrain.

Anticipated Use Cases:

-Flexible automated transport beyond conventional fixed routes, such as moving goods from factories or warehouses to outdoor locations.

-Full scale last-mile logistics deployment, enabled by level 4 autonomous driving on public roads.

■ Integrated with Macnica’s remote operation management system for end-to-end support.

Leveraging experience from automated factory transport and autonomous EV buses, Macnica selects and integrates the sensors and autonomous driving algorithms needed to tailor Blanc Robot™ for each site. By linking with Macnica’s remote operation management system, everfleet™, the platform enables efficient vehicle utilisation, stable operations, and cost optimisation.

Macnica provides complete, site-specific autonomous vehicle solutions, from on-site integration to ongoing operational support.

■ Future

Macnica and Applied EV will leverage the full capabilities of Applied EV’s Blanc Robot™ to advance the phased and strategic deployment of autonomous driving in logistics, industrial, and other sectors. Building on Macnica’s extensive experience with autonomous EV buses on public roads — including development, deployment, and operational support — the partnership aims to enable full-scale last-mile logistics operations.

*Remote Operation Management System “everfleet” (Manufactured by Macnica) Everfleet™ is an integrated platform for remotely monitoring vehicles, passengers, and surrounding environments to support the commercialisation of autonomous driving. It centralises vehicle location, camera feeds inside and outside the vehicle, and operational data such as speed, steering, and battery status. It can also integrate external data from traffic infrastructure, such as traffic lights, providing real-time visibility of vehicle operations from remote locations.

*The system can manage diverse fleets across multiple regions simultaneously and automatically detects and alerts operators to any operational abnormalities. By enabling a single remote operator to monitor and manage multiple vehicles efficiently, everfleet™ reduces personnel requirements, improves operational efficiency, and enhances transportation profitability.

Product details: https://www.macnica.co.jp/business/maas/products/149141/

Product inquiries: Macnica, Inc. Smart City & Mobility Division TEL: 045-470-9118 MAIL: auto-solution@macnica.co.jp

*Company and product names mentioned in this text are trademarks or registered trademarks of Macnica, Inc. and their respective owners.

*The information in this news release, is current as of the date of publication. Please note that it may be subject to change without prior notice.

About Applied EV.

Applied EV was founded with the mission of “bringing innovation to transportation.” The company’s Digital Backbone™ is a vehicle electrical architecture platform that enables SDVs (Software Defined Vehicles). Building on this core technology, the company jointly developed with Suzuki Motor Corporation the innovative Blanc Robot™ platform, designed for a wide range of applications — from transporting goods to industrial use. In December 2025, JAPAN POST CAPITAL invested in Applied EV to support its expansion into last-mile logistics. www.appliedev.com

About Macnica.

Macnica is a service and solutions company specialising in the latest technologies, with semiconductors and cybersecurity at its core. Operating in 91 locations across 28 countries and regions, Macnica leverages over 50 years of technical expertise and a global network to discover, propose, and implement cutting-edge technologies such as AI, IoT, and autonomous driving. www.macnica.co.jp