Honda, GM to introduce driverless ride-hailing service in Japan in 2026

MANILA: Honda Motor Company Limited and General Motors will be bringing Cruise’s driverless ride-hailing service to Japan in 2026.

The Cruise Origin, jointly developed by Honda, General Motors, and Cruise, is a self-driving car without a driver's seat or steering wheel that will be able to pick up passengers at a specified location and transport them to their destination using fully autonomous driving. Hailing and paying will be done by the passengers through a smartphone app.

With a spacious cabin, the Cruise Origin can accommodate up to six passengers.

The three companies target to introduce the driverless ride-hailing service in central Tokyo in early 2026. The service will launch with a fleet of a few dozen Cruise Origins before expanding to 500. It will also be extended to areas outside of Central Tokyo.

Aside from providing a new value of mobility, this driverless ride-hailing service also aims to address societal issues faced by Japan, such as the lack of taxi and bus drivers.

“Honda is striving to create the ‘joy and freedom of mobility.’ Through our driverless ride-hail service, we will enable customers in Japan to experience a new value of mobility, improve the quality of their mobility experiences and offer the joy of mobility,” Honda Motor Company Chief Executive Officer Toshihiro Mibe stated.

For General Motors’ part, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said, “Through this important partnership with Cruise and Honda, we’re bringing forward innovation that leverages our expertise in cutting-edge software and hardware to help more people around the world get where they need to go.”

The Cruise Origin will be unveiled in Honda’s booth at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show on October 28-November 25.

Photos from Honda Motor Company Limited

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