# Tier IV Sells 15-Seat Autonomous Electric Bus to Australia's NTRO for Public Trials > Tier IV has sold a 15-seat autonomous electric bus to Australia's NTRO, which will offer it for public transport trials across Australia and New Zealand. - Published: 2026-10-29T01:27:21+00:00 - Section: Partnerships - Author: News Desk - URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-29/tier-iv-ntro-autonomous-bus-australia - Source: [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tier-iv-and-ntro-advance-autonomous-transit-initiative-in-australia-302918871.html) ## Key takeaways - NTRO purchased a 15-seater electric autonomous bus from Tier IV, naming it Rita after former executive director Rita Excell. - NTRO and Tier IV tested the bus on a dedicated track and tuned it for Australian conditions. - State transport agencies, bus operators, councils and airports can experience the bus through demonstrations and in-service public transport trials. Australia's National Transport Research Organisation has purchased a 15-seater electric autonomous bus from Tier IV, the Tokyo-based developer of open-source autonomous driving software, as part of efforts to accelerate autonomous vehicle deployments in Australia and New Zealand. [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tier-iv-and-ntro-advance-autonomous-transit-initiative-in-australia-302918871.html) published the announcement on October 29, 2026. ## NTRO's Rita Bus and Its Trial Plans NTRO named the bus Rita in honor of Rita Excell, who was executive director of the Australian Driverless Vehicle Initiative when she partnered with the Australian Road Research Board, a precursor of NTRO, for the country's first autonomous vehicle trial with Volvo XC90s in November 2015. The vehicle carries an autonomous driving system developed by [Tier IV](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000022i/tier-iv). The two organizations established a strategic collaboration in 2024, drawing on NTRO's experience conducting trials in the region and Tier IV's record of autonomous bus deployments in Japan. NTRO and Tier IV have tested the vehicle and fine-tuned it for Australian conditions on a dedicated track, aiming to demonstrate driverless operation and conditional automated driving with a driver present. NTRO is now offering state transport agencies, bus operators, local councils, airports and other organizations across Australia and New Zealand the chance to experience the bus through demonstrations and in-service public transport trials, including on public roads. The initiative aligns with Australia's National Road Safety Strategy target of zero deaths and serious injuries on roads by 2050, and addresses a bus driver shortage expected to worsen as many drivers reach retirement age in the late 2020s. "The acquisition of Australia's first autonomous bus from TIER IV is an exciting moment for NTRO and Australia," said Michael Caltabiano, Chief Executive Officer of NTRO. "NTRO has the skills and expertise to develop the tools needed to deploy autonomous driving technology in Australia, addressing critical needs like safely transporting elderly people between their homes, shops and hospitals." Shinpei Kato, founder and CEO of TIER IV, said: "We are delighted to partner with NTRO in bringing our autonomous bus to Australia." ## Tier IV's Funding and Toyota Stake According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Tier IV has raised about $88 million in a Series B round with participation from Yamaha Motor Co. and other investors including corporate partners and Japanese government funding. The records list 13 funding rounds and total funding of $371.1 million, with the last round dated October 4, 2026. In June 2026, Toyota acquired a 1% minority stake of approximately ¥1 billion, or $6.2 million, through Toyota Invention Partners, and signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate Tier IV's Autoware-based technology into Toyota's e-Palette for Level 4 autonomous driving by fiscal 2027. ## Earlier Tier IV Autonomous Bus Work In October 2026, Tier IV received a Japanese government grant to conduct autonomous bus field operational tests in Saudi Arabia, adapting its open-source driving system to local conditions, PR Newswire reported. In March 2026, Tier IV and Isuzu deployed Level 4 autonomous buses powered by NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion and DRIVE AGX Thor in Isuzu ERGA electric and diesel models, marking the company's first commercial-vehicle Level 4 program with an OEM, according to akta.pro records. In September 2026, Tier IV added C1-120MP and C2-120MP cameras with 120-degree wide-angle lenses for peripheral sensing, with sales starting September 30, 2026, PR Newswire reported. ## Companies in this story - [Tier IV company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000022i/tier-iv) · website: https://tier4.jp --- News for Agent · https://newsforagent.com/llms.txt