PANASONIC Corp’s autonomous driving system is expected to be launched in commercial vehicles as early as in 2022, in a move that will likely help the Japanese company narrow its gap with rival suppliers in a highly competitive market.

The new autonomous driving system will enable autonomous driving at low- and medium-speed ranges including self-valet parking, Panasonic said.

Panasonic has been pushing to expand its range of advanced driving-related products to better compete with top suppliers such as Bosch and Continental AG.

The firm has said it plans to nearly double its automotive business revenue to 2.5 trillion yen by the year to March 2022, from 1.3 trillion yen in the year to March 2017.

Panasonic established the automotive R&D division in April, transferring about 350 engineers from TV, the company’s mainstay at the time, and other consumer electronics businesses.

To bolster its push into the automotive field, Panasonic took control of auto parts maker Ficosa International SA earlier this year. – Reuters

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