Honda Motor Co said Wednesday it aims to become the world's first automaker to offer an autonomous driving system that allows drivers to take their eyes off the road in most situations, with a plan to install it in its new electric vehicle series to be launched globally.
The "eyes-off" technology, equivalent to level 3 in the industry's five-point scale of autonomous driving capabilities, will enable drivers to watch movies and read books, among other activities, the Japanese carmaker said.
The new function will become available for expressway driving starting in the late 2020s, with plans to expand it to various other road situations later, Honda said.
The system will be installed in the Honda 0 EV series the automaker plans to launch in 2026. The technology will utilize artificial intelligence to study behavioral patterns of experienced drivers, the carmaker said.
Honda launched the revamped Legend sedan in 2021, the world's first level-3 autonomous driving vehicle that allows drivers to engage in activities other than driving, but the scope of its use was restricted to when driving in heavy traffic on the expressway.
The latest announcement is part of the company's efforts to play catch-up with its overseas rivals such as Tesla Inc and China's BYD Co., which have advanced technology in all-electric cars.
"We need to create a value that allows us to win on the global stage," Honda President Toshihiro Mibe said at a recent media briefing held at its development facility in Tochigi Prefecture.
Honda has said it plans to make all new car sales either EVs or fuel-cell vehicles globally by 2040.
© KYODO
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