The Auto Channel - Honda Permitted To Go Level 3 Autonomous Cars To Temporarily Best Tesla - Leave The Driving To Them

TACH's TAKE: Autonomous Vehicle Content Library -1993-2020
SEE ALSO: Automotive News- Why Level 3 Has Failed

TOKYO November 11, 2020; Reuters reported that Japan’s Honda Motor Co said on Wednesday (see release below) it will be the world’s first automaker to mass produce sensor-packed level 3 autonomous cars that will allow drivers to let their vehicles navigate congested expressway traffic.

“Honda is planning to launch sales of a Honda Legend (luxury sedan) equipped with the newly approved automated driving equipment” before the end of March 2021, Honda said in a press release.

The race to build self-driving cars is a key technology battleground for automakers, with technology companies such as Google parent Alphabet Inc also investing billions of dollars in a field expected to boost car sales.

Japan’s government earlier in the day awarded a safety certification to Honda’s autonomous “Traffic Jam Pilot” driving technology, which legally allow drivers to take their eyes off the road.

“Self driving cars are expected to play a big role in helping reduce traffic accidents, provide transportation for the elderly and improve logistics,” said Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

There are six levels of vehicle autonomy, from 0 to 5, ranging from manual cars or those with simple functions such as cruise control to fully self-driving vehicles that would not need steering wheels, or brake and acceleration pedals.

Level 2 cars, which are currently on public roads, can control their own speed and steering, but must have an alert driver able to take control at all times.

In July, U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc said it was “very close” to achieving level 5 autonomous driving.

Honda Receives Type Designation for Level 3 Automated Driving in Japan

TOKYO, Nov 11, 2020; Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that it has received the required type designation for Level 3(1) automated driving from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). This approval enables the automated driving system to drive the vehicle instead of the driver under certain conditions, such as when the vehicle is in congested traffic on expressway. Honda is planning to launch sales of a Honda Legend equipped with the newly approved automated driving equipment (Traffic Jam Pilot) before the end of the current fiscal year (Ending March 31, 2021).

To promote commercialization of Level 3 automated vehicles, the MLIT partially amended the Road Vehicle Act, and the revised act (Act No. 14 of 2019) took effect April 1, 2020. By this amendment, equipment for Level 3 automated driving was newly added to the list of motor vehicle equipment subject to the safety standards (defined in the Ministry of Transport Ordinance No.67, 1951).

Key safety standards for automated driving equipment(2)

1. Performance:

The equipment must not cause any concern that compromises the safety of vehicle occupants or other road users under the operable driving environment conditions.(3)

The equipment must not operate unless all required operable driving environment conditions are fulfilled.

Before any of operable driving environment conditions become unsatisfactory, the equipment must warn the driver of the transfer of control (handover) back to the driver and must continue safe driving until the handover is completed. When the handover cannot be made, the equipment must safely stop the vehicle.

The equipment must include a driver monitoring function to monitor the condition of the driver.

The equipment must adopt cyber security measures to prevent security threats such as unauthorized access.

2. Operating condition recording device:

The recording device must record data to confirm operating conditions of the automated driving equipment for a 6-month period (or 2,500 times) including the following:

- Time when the automated driving equipment was turned on/off
- Time when the equipment issued a handover warning
- Time when the driver fell into a situation where a handover is not possible

3. External display:

A sticker indicating it is an automated vehicle should be affixed on the backside of the vehicle body. (A request to automakers.)

A sticker indicating it is an automated vehicle

Honda will remain dedicated to the further development of safety technologies while striving to serve people worldwide with the joy and freedom of mobility, providing people with peace of mind and inspire their feeling of curiosity.

(1) One level of automated driving defined by the Japanese government (based on SAE definitions). At Level 3 of automation, the system monitors the driving environment surrounding the vehicle and takes over driving operations under certain conditions. When any of operable driving environment conditions become unsatisfactory, the system will issue a warning, and the driver must take over the driving immediately.
(2) An excerpt from the press release issued by the MLIT (Japanese only) on March 31, 2020 about the establishment of safety standards for automated vehicles and the design of the sticker indicating automated vehicles.
(3) Conditions under which automated driving equipment is operable, which are determined based on various factors such as location (i.e. expressways), weather (i.e. clear day) and vehicle speeds, etc. Conditions vary depending on the performance of the system.