Honda has recently made a big claim, saying it will soon be the first automaker to mass-produce vehicles featuring Level 3 autonomous technology.
The announcement came on the same day safety regulators in Japan revealed Honda’s autonomous “Traffic Jam Pilot” driving technology had been approved. This allows drivers to take their eyes off the road when the automated system is engaged.
A press release from Honda says the company has plans in place to start manufacturing a vehicle called the Honda Legend, with sales kicking off in Japan as soon as March of 2021. Reuters describes the luxury sedan as “sensor-packed” and says its Level 3 capability will allow it to “navigate crowded expressway traffic.”
Autonomous vehicle technology is characterized in six different levels: zero, which means no capabilities, and six, which would be a completely human-free experience. Most automaker development is somewhere in between, though the most market-ready product to date has been Tesla’s AutoPilot, which offers Level 2.
According to Honda, at Level 3 of automation, “the system monitors the driving environment surrounding the vehicle and takes over driving operations under certain conditions. When any of operable driving environment conditions become unsatisfactory, the system will issue a warning, and the driver must take over the driving immediately.”
One requirement unique to Japan, at least at this time, is that automakers affix a sticker to vehicles indicating that they are an automated vehicle.
