GM, Cruise, and Honda Team Up to Launch Commercial Robotaxi Service in Japan

General Motors, Honda, and Cruise have announced plans to launch a robotaxi service in Japan in early 2026 through a new joint venture.

The service will reportedly start in central Tokyo with dozens of custom-designed Cruise Origins, later expanding to 500 such vehicles. The companies envision extending the service area beyond central Tokyo.

GM-Cruise-Honda Partnership For Robotaxi Service in Japan

Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt highlighted the societal demand for secure and accessible transportation in Japan - a need that autonomous vehicles can effectively address.

Given Japan's status as one of the world's largest potential markets for autonomous ride-hailing vehicles, he also emphasized the substantial business potential, particularly in densely populated urban areas.

Cruise Origin, a product of collaboration between Cruise, GM, and Honda, promises a unique mobility experience for customers in Japan. This specially crafted autonomous vehicle accommodates up to six passengers in comfortable campfire-style seating.

GM will manufacture approximately 500 Origins at the Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant in Michigan for the launch. In a press statement, GM's Chair and CEO, Mary Barra, affirmed the company's dedication to shaping the future of transportation.

She noted the autonomous vehicles' significant advantages, from enhanced safety to increased accessibility. Barra said the partnership with Cruise and Honda leverages GM's expertise in advanced software and hardware to facilitate global mobility.

"The benefits of AVs - from safety to accessibility - are too profound to ignore and 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," Barra noted.

GM-Cruise-Honda Partnership to Address Shortage of Drivers in Japan

The new venture is set to collaborate with various stakeholders, including national and local governments and transportation service providers in Japan.

The partnership aims to address the shortage of drivers in Japan and provide a safer, more accessible mode of transportation. Honda's Global CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, cited their mission to create the "joy and freedom of mobility."

Through the driverless ride service in partnership with Cruise and GM, Mibe noted that the company envisions customers in Japan encountering a new dimension of mobility, enhancing the quality of their travel experiences.

"This will be a major step toward the realization of an advanced mobility society. Providing this service in central Tokyo where the traffic environment is complex will be a great challenge, however, by working jointly with Cruise and GM, Honda will exert further efforts to make it a reality," Mibe said.

Subject to government approvals, preliminary testing is scheduled to be initiated next year, followed by the commencement of commercial operations in central Tokyo by early 2026. The three companies target establishing the joint venture in the first half of 2024, pending regulatory approval.