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| Honda sells a self-driving level 3 Legend |
Honda announced plans on Thursday to sell a limited edition of its popular flagship sedan, equipped with Level 3 autopilot technology to enable vehicles to drive on congested highways.
Honda explained that when the third level, known as "traffic jams," is activated, the driver can watch movies or use the on-screen navigation to reduce fatigue and stress when driving in traffic jams.
The Japanese automaker plans to sell 100 cars with advanced technology. This is a milestone for being the first company to mass-produce cars with Tier 3 self-driving technology.
Legend's Traffic Jam Pilot system can control acceleration, braking and steering under certain conditions.
According to Honda, the system can remind the driver to react when the driver takes control, for example by vibrating the driver's seat belt.
If the driver still does not react, the "traffic driver" can assist in the emergency stop by slowing down and stopping the vehicle while using the hazard lights and horns to alert surrounding vehicles.
The Japanese government brought the news after Honda awarded the "Traffic Congestion Test" safety certification in November.
Global automakers and technology companies, including Waymo and Tesla, have invested heavily in autonomous driving.
Despite technological advances, regulations for autonomous driving vary from country to country.
Audi launched the A8 in 2017 with Tier 3 autonomous driving technology. However, due to regulatory hurdles, the A8 is not widely used.
Honda said the iconic limited edition will go on sale in Japan on Friday with a retail price of 11 million yen ($ 103,000).
The operations manager said the automaker currently has no plans to increase production or sales of Legend, which is equipped with standalone Tier 3 technology.
Honda strives to create a collision-free society based on the motto of global security and national security. Honda has long been a world leader in safety technology research and development.