Automakers will collaborate on a high-volume self-driving car
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| © Motor Trend Staff GM Cruise AV |
From Motor Trend
Honda
has teamed up with General Motors to develop an autonomous vehicle for
Cruise, the American automaker's self-driving car division.
Honda has invested $750 million in Cruise, and over the next 12
years, it will contribute another $2 billion. The goal is to roll out
autonomous vehicles in high volumes around the globe. Honda's investment
in Cruise follows another recent investment by SoftBank, bringing the
valuation of the self-driving tech company to $14.6 billion.
Cruise is preparing to launch commercial autonomous cars in 2019. GM said the cars will deploy in "dense urban environments." Based on the Chevrolet Bolt, the Cruise AV
debuted this year in production-ready form, and without a steering
wheel or pedals. Orion, Michigan, is the site of production for these
vehicles.
It's expected for automakers and tech companies to
partner up on autonomous cars to reduce costs and accelerate
development. Waymo has partnered with a number of automakers, including
Fiat Chrysler, which contributes its Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans for retrofitting by the tech company, and Jaguar, which has committed 20,000 I-Pace EV crossovers to Waymo's test fleet. Meanwhile, BMW, FCA, and many other companies are working together on a common autonomous vehicle platform.
GM
and Honda have collaborated before. Just a few months ago, the two
companies announced an agreement to develop next-generation battery
technology for future vehicles, mainly for North America. The new
batteries will benefit from more efficient packaging, higher energy
density, and faster charging capabilities. The two companies have also
committed to work together on hydrogen fuel cell technology.
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