'Driving Without Looking Ahead'... Honda First in the World to Commercialize Level 3 Autonomous Vehicle

Installed in Large Sedan 'Legend' Model... Scheduled for Sale Within the Year
Price Around 100 Million KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japanese automaker Honda will release a self-driving car this year that allows the driver not to pay attention to the front. If it goes on sale, it is expected to be the highest level among self-driving cars released so far.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 12th, Honda announced that its Level 3 autonomous driving system, which is controlled by sensors and systems and minimizes driver intervention, recently received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Audi, BMW, and others also have Level 3 technology, but this is the first time a country has approved commercialization. Honda plans to install the system in its large sedan 'Legend' and sell it in Japan next month.

Level 3 autonomous driving is conditional autonomy, mainly relying on sensors and systems. The driver intervenes only in emergencies. Drivers can watch TV or operate a mobile phone while driving. Honda's self-driving car is equipped with a newly developed automatic navigation device called 'Traffic Jam Pilot.' This allows the car to recognize highway congestion and automate driving considering certain conditions such as speed and weather.

Honda did not specify the exact price, but the industry expects the price of the Legend autonomous vehicle to be around 10 million yen (approximately 107 million KRW).

Honda's technology is one step ahead of Tesla, which currently offers self-driving cars. Tesla sells the Model 3 autonomous vehicle, but the driver must constantly supervise it.

Honda's Level 3 autonomous vehicle launch was also supported by government efforts. The Japanese government has been revising related laws to enable its domestic industry to take the lead in the fierce global competition for commercialization of autonomous vehicles. Last year, the Japanese government passed a bill allowing Level 3 or higher autonomous driving on highways and roads with low traffic volume.

Following Honda, major automakers are expected to accelerate their autonomous vehicle development. Toyota Motor will equip the new top-grade Lexus LS sedan, scheduled for release this winter, with a 'hands-off' feature that allows driving without holding the steering wheel. This corresponds to Level 2 autonomy. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, citing a senior Toyota official, that Level 3 vehicles are expected to be released within a few years. Nissan also plans to apply Level 2 technology to new models it sells in the future. In Europe, technology development is also active. German Audi is known to have secured Level 3 autonomous driving technology but has not entered commercialization due to insufficient related laws. Mercedes-Benz plans to commercialize Level 3 vehicles next year.

The autonomous vehicle market is expected to grow further. According to market research firm IHS Markit, the autonomous vehicle market size is projected to increase from about 600,000 units annually in 2025 to 21 million units annually by 2035.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.