Japan’s Honda revealed plans on Thursday to introduce an autonomous taxi service in central Tokyo by early 2026, in collaboration with General Motors (GM) and GM’s self-driving unit, Cruise.
The trio intends to form a joint venture next year to pave the way for the robotaxi service, employing the Cruise Origin vehicle. This vehicle is unique in that it lacks a driver’s seat and can seat up to six passengers.
In Japan, especially in declining and aging rural areas, autonomous driving is viewed as a potential remedy to keep transport services running amidst dwindling profits and driver shortages.
Honda is prioritizing Tokyo for its service launch due to the city’s intricate driving conditions. Successfully navigating Tokyo would signify the capability to expand the service elsewhere, as explained by Honda’s CEO, Toshihiro Mibe.
Cruise’s strategy aligns with this approach, having initiated a paid driverless taxi operation in the complex terrains of San Francisco since the previous June.
While Tokyo boasts an extensive transport infrastructure, including trains, subways, buses, and numerous taxis, there are times when hailing a taxi can be challenging. Autonomous taxis could potentially address this gap, enhancing the city’s convenience, as stated by Mibe.
However, the upcoming robotaxi service might face resistance from Japan’s traditionally conservative taxi sector.
“Our basic stance is that we are hoping to grow this business by cooperating with transportation service operators. We believe the driverless taxi service will contribute to solving the issue of taxi driver shortages, too,” Mibe said.
