Honda Aims for Self-Driving Cars by 2025

It appears Honda‘s self-driving technology will lag behind other automakers.

Honda is aiming to introduce highly automated freeway driving by 2020, a feature that some automakers, like Tesla, are already offering on their vehicles. The company is targeting to introduce vehicles with SAE level 4 capabilities in 2025.

To demonstrate the progress it’s made, Honda held a media briefing at its research and development center in Japan, where the media were able to test drive Honda automated vehicle technologies in several complex driving scenarios.

There was a freeway test-driving demonstration on a closed test course to show the capability for automated driving on a multi-lane freeway in the presence of traffic. The test vehicle features an advanced sensor package which includes multiple cameras, five LIDAR, and five radar sensors.

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There was also a scenario that simulated a common urban driving experience, with the vehicle using the latest generation of Honda’s artificial intelligence (AI) with Deep Learning capability. According to Honda, its AI with Deep Learning can sense and respond to complex driving environments and situations, such as roads without proper lane markings. This is also done in a vehicle equipped only with camera sensors – no LIDAR or GPS.

“We will strive to achieve the technological establishment of Level 4 automated driving for personal car use by around 2025,” said Hachigo. “We are striving to provide our customers with a sense of confidence and trust by offering automated driving that will keep vehicles away from any dangerous situation and that will not make people around the vehicle feel unsafe.”

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