THE JAPAN NEWS




 

Honda Motor Co. says it will launch by the end of this fiscal year a vehicle with level 3 self-driving features, which would allow the automobile to take over operations under certain conditions and let drivers take their eyes off the road.

According to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, it would be the first level 3 self-driving car in the world to be commercially available.

On Wednesday, the ministry certified Honda’s Legend luxury sedan with automatic driving features as meeting its safety standards for a level-3 self-driving vehicle.

If the vehicle gets stuck in a traffic jam on an expressway, drivers can allow it to take over control of such elements as steering, accelerating and braking at speeds of less than 50 kph. In all other situations, the driver must maintain control.

In addition to on-board cameras and radar, the manufacturer has used satellite-based location measurements and highly accurate map data to achieve commercialization of the level 3 features.

Honda plans to release the self-driving Legend by the end of this fiscal year; the price is yet to be determined.

Self-driving is divided into five levels, depending on the level of driver involvement. Level 3 cars can now be driven on public roads due partly to amendments to the Road Traffic Law implemented in April. In emergencies, the vehicle must be driven by a person, but drivers will be able to operate their mobile phones and watch TV when the car is operating automatically.

Major automakers around the world, including Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., are working to develop self-driving technology. Germany’s BMW plans to launch a level 3 car by the end of 2021.

Major IT firms such as DeNA Co. and Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet Inc., have also entered the market, and competition is heating up.