Rohto Pharmaceutical Begins Demonstration of Skincare Product Transport Using T2's Autonomous Trucks

Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Osaka, President and CEO: Hidetoshi Seki, hereinafter "Rohto Pharmaceutical") and T2 Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and CEO: Masutomo Kumabe, hereinafter "T2") will begin a demonstration of transporting Rohto Pharmaceutical's skincare-related products using autonomous driving trucks on a section of expressways between the Kansai and Kanto regions starting June 29, 2026.

Image left: Rohto Pharmaceutical's Ueno Techno Center and T2's autonomous driving truck; Image right: Products to be transported in this demonstration

To ensure stable product delivery to customers, Rohto Pharmaceutical has previously implemented various initiatives※1 to address chronic challenges in the logistics industry, such as labor shortages and long working hours for drivers, including improving loading efficiency and joint deliveries with other companies.

T2 aims to launch trunk-line transportation using Level 4※2 autonomous trucks from fiscal year 2027 onward. Since 2024, T2 has conducted transportation demonstrations using Level 2※3 autonomous trucks with companies across diverse industries, and from 2025 has begun offering regular transportation services called "commercial operations"※4 to companies that have completed demonstrations.

Now, Rohto Pharmaceutical and T2 will jointly begin a transportation demonstration using Level 2 autonomous trucks for Rohto Pharmaceutical's skincare-related products on a section of expressways between Kansai and Kanto, starting June 29, 2026, as detailed below.

Period

Four runs in total from June 29, 2026 to December 2026

Route

Round-trip journey of approximately 490 km between Rohto Pharmaceutical's Kansai logistics hub (Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture) and Kanto logistics hub (Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture); approximately 450 km of this route (from Ibaraki IC on the Meishin Expressway to Ayase Smart IC on the Tomei Expressway) will be driven using Level 2 autonomous driving※5

Roles

• Rohto Pharmaceutical: Selection of hubs and operation routes, arrangement of demonstration cargo

Cargo

Skincare-related products, etc.

Evaluation Points

• Effectiveness of operational procedures incorporating autonomous driving • Effectiveness of driving routes and lead times

Rohto Pharmaceutical will use the results of this demonstration to seriously consider adopting T2's Level 4 autonomous truck trunk-line transportation services.

Through this initiative, Rohto Pharmaceutical aims not only to ensure stable product delivery to customers but also to contribute to creating better working environments for logistics workers, reducing environmental impact, and ultimately helping realize a society centered on well-being.

※1 Press release on logistics initiatives: https://www.rohto.co.jp/news/release/2025/1008_01

※2 A state in which the automated driving system performs all driving tasks within specific, limited operational design domains

※3 Advanced autonomous driving under specific conditions, conducted under driver supervision

※4 Press release related to this: https://t2.auto/news/2025/0701.pdf

※5 Driver temporarily takes over driving when safety requires

[Company Websites]

Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.: https://www.rohto.co.jp/

T2 Inc.: https://t2.auto/