Honda will start mass production of cars with third-level autopilot in March 2021
Japan’s Honda Motor announced Wednesday that it will be the world’s first automaker to begin mass production of SAE Level 3 autonomous vehicles. They will be equipped with sensors that will allow drivers to allow vehicles to move independently on busy highways.
” Honda plans to start selling the Honda Legend (luxury sedan) equipped with newly approved automated driving equipment [by the end of March 2021], ” the auto company said in a press release.
Earlier Wednesday, the Japanese government awarded a safety certificate to Honda’s “Traffic Jam Pilot” autonomous driving technology, which legally allows the driver to be distracted from the road, although he must be ready to take over at any time.
“ Self-driving cars are expected to play a big role in reducing road accidents, providing transportation for the elderly and improving logistics, ” the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan said.
There are six levels of vehicle autonomy, from 0 to 5. Nowadays, on the roads, you can increasingly find cars with the second level of autonomy, which provides automated speed control and traffic control in certain situations, but the driver must carefully monitor the situation on the road.
The third level of autonomy provides the driver with a little more degrees of freedom, although it does not negate the need to control the traffic situation on his part.
