Exploring autonomous vehicle development frontiers: A conversation with TIER IV’s project manager!
Our series TIER IV PEOPLE shines a light on the people and teams whose unique experiences, backgrounds, and stories bring our mission to life.
Our latest interview is with Akinari Yamashita, Project Manager of Vehicle Development. With the belief of “I want to work on something that benefits society”. Akinari who leads the electric vehicle (EV) development project for the realization of autonomous driving technology, shares his insights into his journey and the exciting work at TIER IV.
--What’s your educational and career background?
At university and graduate school, I studied electrical and electronic engineering, with a focus on electric components like motors and inverters used in EVs. My deep dive into inverters, from an electro-magnetics perspective, went hand in hand with my involvement in the development of motor cores.
After graduation, I worked for an OEM renowned for its commercial vehicles. There, I worked in a team dedicated to advancing EVs, primarily focusing on developing software for the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU). It was an advanced development project, and despite a modest-size team, I was able to experience the project from beginning to end, being involved in every aspect of it.
Akinari Yamashita | Project Manager, Vehicle Development
--What got you into vehicles, especially EVs?
I have always loved cars. But compared to the “enthusiasts” in this industry, their knowledge and passion are far broader and deeper. I studied electrical and electronic engineering at university because I thought the field was broad and versatile, allowing me to consider career options from multiple perspectives.
The turning point came with the Great East Japan Earthquake in March, 2011. Post-graduation, while I contemplated pursuing further studies, the earthquake triggered my desire to work on something meaningful for society. I decided to become an engineer in the EV sector, recognizing its potential to make a profound social impact, and utilizing my background in electronics and electricity.
--How did you find TIER IV, and why did you join us?
After finishing graduate school, I worked for an OEM, and then moved on to a foreign automotive parts supplier specializing in automotive electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity. During this time, an agent introduced me toTIER IV. Initially, I had no intention of changing my career, so my knowledge of TIER IV was cursory at best, encompassing its business, mission, and future prospects.
However, that encounter led me to become interested not only in TIER IV but also in the autonomous driving industry as a whole. I began proactively collecting information and, as I delved deeper, I found alignment between TIER IV’s mission and my enduring desire to engage in work that had an impact on society, a conviction I had held since my university days.I also really liked the end-to-end project ownership I experienced at the OEM,, and I began to think that TIER IV was the perfect fit.
After some time passed, another agent introduced me to TIER IV again. This time, I immediately agreed to an interview, ultimately leading to my desire to join the company.
--What are your roles at TIER IV?
I mainly play two roles at TIER IV. The first role is, as a project manager for vehicle development, to select development issues and requirements, create development plans, and coordinate with component suppliers, vendors, and internal teams to ensure the adequate progress of projects The second role is to provide primary filtering when problems arise during the development process, by quickly identifying the issue,hypothesizing the cause, and forwarding the matter to a dedicated team for resolution. We ensure that the team understands the problem exactly and work closely with them to resolve it.
The process of vehicle development cannot be completed by TIER IV alone. We bring together the know-how of various suppliers and vendors, integrating their knowledge to solve problems collectively. This approach enables us to jointly develop vehicles that can overcome the high barriers of autonomous driving. The result? “fanfare,” a white-label EVs launched in June of this year.
--Tell us more about “fanfare.”
Briefly, “fanfare” represents TIER IV’s ambition to develop, produce, and distribute 9 models of EVs equipped with Level 4 level autonomous driving functions.
Up to now, with the vision of “The Art of Open-Source - Reimagine Intelligent Vehicles,” TIER IV has open-sourced its autonomous driving software, “Autoware,” as well as providing hardware components (ECUs, cameras, LiDAR, etc.) that meet the software’s requirements as reference hardware.
“fanfare” signifies a new chapter in our effort to further accelerate the realization of autonomous driving in society. Vehicles will be procured from various vehicle manufacturers, expanded to be compatible with Level 4 autonomous driving functions, and then sold as white-label EVs to customers. At the same time, through the “L4 Custom Design Guidelines,” we promote our vision by establishing an open specification for white-label EV design under the fanfare umbrella. This enables third-party companies to mass-produce EVs with similar specifications, fostering an ecosystem of innovation.
--What do you want to make happen at TIER IV?
In the short term, my goal as a project manager is to steadily grow the “fanfare” project. Through this initiative, I aim to contribute to the spread of autonomous driving not only in Japan but also on a global scale. I think most people around the world still consider autonomous driving technology to be in the experimental stage. “fanfare” seeks to introduce more vehicles, catalyzing widespread acceptance of autonomous driving in society, and positioning it as an indispensable element of our social infrastructure.
To achieve this, we need stronger teams. We are actively looking for a Vehicle System Engineer and a Vehicle Control Software Engineer. While technical expertise is essential, we place significant value on candidates who exhibit a readiness to work with internal and external stakeholders, addressing challenges proactively. Even if you are not entirely confident in your skills, we have many experts to ensure that you receive the support you need. We are seeking people who share our aspiration to advance society through autonomous driving and are willing to work with those around them to tackle challenges ahead.
--What makes TIER IV attractive to engineers like you?
The most attractive thing about TIER IV is the “speed” with which it drives its business forward.
Klaus Schwab, a Swiss economist, said, “In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish.” TIER IV is definitely a “fast fish.” We are moving forward at an incredibly fast pace, not only within Japan, but on a global scale. As an engineer, there is no more exciting environment to be part of.
--Any final messages to share?
With our vision of “The Art of Open-Source - Reimagine Intelligent Vehicles,” we are working closely with all stakeholders to develop safe and intelligent autonomous driving technologies and promote their realization into society. We invite you to stay tuned to TIER IV’s future business developments.
As mentioned earlier, we are actively looking for a Vehicle System Engineer and a Vehicle Control Software Engineer to join our vehicle development efforts. We look forward to hearing from individuals who are interested in autonomous driving, which is a challenging field, and are willing to embark on this journey with us!
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