Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, November 7 (Xinhua) according to the Nikkei News, Honda will launch empirical experiments in Changzong City, Ibaraki Prefecture, such as a subcompact pure electric vehicle (EV) that can seat 1 / 2 people. They plan to use only camera image recognition technology and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to achieve automatic driving of non-high-precision maps after 2-3 years, with the goal of commercialization after 2030.

Honda will accelerate the transformation to a new generation of cars through the integration of pure electric vehicles and high-precision self-driving technology.

On Wednesday, Honda demonstrated the prototype of the minicar. One of them is a single-seater subcompact that looks like a subminiature phone booth; there is also a two-seater subcompact and a four-seater model similar to a golf cart.

These pure electric vehicles, developed under the brand "CiKoMa", will use cameras for spatial identification and support AI technology, and will start driving experiments in the area of natural experience facilities in Changzong City within November. Honda will first use four small EV to conduct empirical experiments, installing a stereoscopic camera in front of the vehicle and six cameras in the front and left and right positions to quickly capture roads and obstacles.

Of course, these cars will be equipped with safety guards during the test to ensure the safe operation of the vehicles. Honda will gradually upgrade its autopilot function, with the goal of achieving autopilot within two to three years.

Yasui Yuji, chief engineer of Honda's research and development, said: "the demonstration experiment of electric minicars will improve artificial intelligence technology."

The subcompact will be fitted with four replaceable battery packs under the seat and is currently expected to travel 20 to 30 kilometers on a single charge. It can be started by pressing a button on the touch panel without using a traditional accelerator or brake pedal.

Honda will test the four-seater model in Japan later this month. (photo provided by the company) CTOnews.com learned that "ultra-small vehicles" is the general name of vehicles classified as "Minicar" in Japan's Road Transport vehicle Law, with a seating capacity of 1 to 2 people, which is smaller than the size of the car and has a small turning radius.

According to Japan's Yano Economic Research Institute, for a new generation of vehicles such as ultra-small vehicles and electric mini cars, according to the most popular domestic sales market in Japan, the market size will reach 11350 in 2025, about 20 times that in 2020. It is expected to further expand to 102700 by 2030.

It is worth mentioning that Honda's R & D center is the leader in the development of this ultra-compact electric vehicle, which the company hopes to commercialize around 2020.

Of course, a key challenge facing Honda and its Japanese counterparts Toyota and Nissan is how to catch up with Tesla and the leading position of Chinese manufacturers in the field of electric vehicles.

"Honda is transforming itself into a Chinese electric brand through a unique and diverse range of electric mobile products, which only Honda can offer," Honda chief executive Mibe Junbo said in a statement.

Honda set a goal earlier this year to launch 30 electric car models worldwide, producing about 2 million electric vehicles a year by 2030. The company said last year that it would launch only electric vehicles in China after 2030, including pure electric, hydrogen fuel cell or gas-electric hybrid vehicles.

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