Honda: EV Alliance with Sony, Level 4 Autonomous Driving Trials with GM

Launch of Honda SENSING 360, future safety technology using AI

2022/03/11

Summary
Basic agreement with the Sony Group for a strategic alliance in the field of mobility
Started Level 4 autonomous driving technology demonstrations in collaboration with GM
Introduced Honda Sensing 360, an omnidirectional safe driving support system
Started joint verification with SoftBank to reduce pedestrian accidents using 5G SA and cellular V2X
World premiere of advanced future safety technologies utilizing AI and communication technology
Forecasting full-year sales of JPY 14,550 billion (up 10.5%) and operating income of JPY 800 billion (up 21.2%) for FY2021
LMC Automotive Production Forecast: Honda Group’s production in 2025 will be 5.1 million units

Summary

In March 2022, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) and Sony Group Corporation (Sony) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a joint venture through which they plan to engage in the joint development and sales of high value-added battery electric vehicles (EVs) along with providing mobility services. Honda will undertake this as a separate project of its electrification strategy already underway, such as the commonization of platforms with General Motors (GM), and the joint development of next-generation Honda EVs powered by GM’s Ultium batteries.
Honda announced in September 2021 that it will conduct a technical demonstration of Level 4 autonomous driving technology in Japan in collaboration with GM. The Japanese government is in the process of developing legislation for the introduction of Level 4 autonomous driving.

Honda Sensing 360 is newly equipped with 5 Millimeter wave radar units
(Source: Honda)

In October 2021, the "Honda Sensing 360" advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) was announced, and in addition to the front wide-view camera, five new Millimeter wave radar units are installed. Starting with the launch in China in 2022, the application of Honda Sensing 360 will be gradually expanded globally.
In November, the company and SoftBank Corporation began jointly verifying use cases for technology to reduce accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles using the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G) and cellular V2X communication system.
In November, Honda held the world premiere of the advanced future safety technologies it is currently developing. Honda is developing the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “Intelligent Driver-Assistive Technology” to reduce driving errors and risks, and the “Safe and Sound Network Technology” which connects people and mobility products through telecommunications to predict and avoid risks before they actually occur. The company aims to commercialize the system in the latter half of the 2020s, and attain its goal of realizing “zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles globally by 2050”.

Honda announced its full-year business forecast for FY2021 with sales revenue of JPY 14.55 trillion (up 10.5%) and operating profit of JPY 800 billion (up 21.2%).
The full-year sales forecast for FY2021 is 4.2 million units (down 7.6% from the previous year). Production for the period April 2021 to January 2022 totaled 3,410,343 units, down 10.3% year-over-year (y/y). Regarding the shortage of parts such as semiconductors and the further re-spread of COVID-19, a certain level of impact is expected to remain in FY2022.

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