Honda Motor Co. Ltd. plans to roll out a self-driving car in summer 2020 that can run even without the driver's hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, the Nikkei Asian Review reported Dec. 13, without saying where it obtained the information.
The automaker will incorporate the level-3 autonomous driving technology into its luxury Legend model and sell it for about ¥10 million, or about US$91,000, which is around 40% more expensive than the standard model, the newspaper said.
Level-3 technology in self-driving cars means the vehicle can drive itself for extended periods but will warn the driver to take over when necessary. According to Nikkei, Japan has already legalized the technology, with the laws set to take effect next spring. The country plans to commercialize the technology in 2020, the news outlet added.
Honda did not immediately respond to S&P Global Market Intelligence's request for comment.
As of Dec. 13, US$1 was equivalent to ¥109.21.