HORIBA MIRA & TIER IV join forces to bring L4 autonomous buses to UK & Europe
Press Release, 28 November 2025
In a significant move for the future of mobility, HORIBA MIRA the UK-based automotive engineering and testing firm has signed a collaboration with Japan’s autonomous-driving pioneer TIER IV to accelerate the rollout of self-driving buses across the UK and Europe.
Under the pact, HORIBA MIRA will offer access to its premier testing facilities at MIRA Tech Park along with its deep engineering and safety-validation expertise. TIER IV, meanwhile, brings its proven open-source driving stack and hardware — including the Level-4-ready electric minibus “Minibus 2.0” plus advanced sensor suites — to deliver a comprehensive autonomous-bus solution.
The collaboration’s first concrete step: deploying an autonomous bus on HORIBA MIRA’s proving ground to demonstrate Level-4 operation under real-world European conditions. Once validated, the project aims to localise and adapt TIER IV’s technology for UK and European roads — bridging regulatory, safety, and environmental requirements.
According to HORIBA MIRA’s commercial-operations head, the partnership builds on years of investment into automated-vehicle research and marks a natural evolution toward safer, scalable autonomous mobility. TIER IV’s leadership echoed that sentiment, saying the collaboration brings them closer to making self-driving transit accessible, sustainable, and reliable for cities throughout Europe.
With this alliance, the stage is being set for a new era in public transport — one where driverless, electric minibuses could soon join European roads, offering safer commutes and smart mobility solutions across urban and rural landscapes.
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