In Japan, General Motors and Honda, along with Cruise – GM’s autonomous driving subsidiary – have joined forces to create a driverless ride-hailing service. Using the Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle, the company will give rides in Tokyo, Japan’s largest city. Service provision is expected to begin in 2026 for both companies.

An electric vehicle built by General Motors in Detroit has no steering wheel, pedals, or driver’s seat. Honda, Cruise, and GM all contributed to the design of the vehicle. Designed for six passengers to sit facing each other, it was unveiled in 2020.

According to the companies, GM plans to build 500 of the vehicles for the Tokyo ride-hailing service, which will be the first autonomous ride-hailing service in Japan.

Since 2018, Honda has also been a major investor in Cruise, which is a GM subsidiary.

Initially, Cruise will test and refine its autonomous vehicle software in Tokyo using the same Chevrolet Bolt-based autonomous cars that the company operates in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin. There are steering wheels and pedals on these vehicles, so a human driver can take over if necessary.

According to Cruise’s chief executive Kyle Vogt, the joint-venture company will be able to operate the fully driverless Origin vehicles by 2026, given the experience Cruise’s autonomous vehicles are gaining in US cities.

As with US cities, operating in Japan does present some challenges, such as driving on the left side of the road instead of the right. However, Vogt said he was confident the vehicles and software would adapt.