General Motors, Cruise (a subsidiary of GM that specializes in self-driving cars), and Honda announced at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 their plans to introduce robotaxi services to Japan. They aim to launch the service in central Tokyo in early 2026.
The robotaxi service in Japan will start with a fleet of several Cruise Origins self-driving cars and will eventually expand to 500 vehicles, with the goal of providing service outside of Tokyo in the future. All three companies see Japan as the largest potential market for self-driving cars.
The collaboration between GM, Cruise, and Honda has been ongoing since 2013, when the three companies started studying hydrogen fuel cells together. In 2020, they unveiled the Cruise Origin self-driving car.
Currently, Cruise offers its robotaxi service 24/7 in San Francisco after a year of limited-time service. They have also expanded their service to certain areas in Austin, Houston, Phoenix, and have started testing self-driving taxis in many other cities across the United States.
TLDR: General Motors, Cruise, and Honda plan to bring robotaxi services to Japan, starting in Tokyo in 2026. The collaboration between the three companies, which began in 2013, aims to capitalize on Japan’s potential as the largest market for self-driving cars. Cruise currently operates its self-driving taxi service in San Francisco and is expanding to other cities in the United States.
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