General Motors, Cruise, and Honda have announced a partnership to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in cenral Tokyo, Japan, in early 2026. The San Francisco-based Cruise is the self-driving subsidiary of General Motors.
The new service, Cruise Origin, has been jointly developed by GM, Cruise and Honda. GM plans to build 500 of the vehicles for the Tokyo ride-hailing service.
Cruise Origin features
- The Origin is a six-passenger vehicle with no driver’s seat or steering wheel.
- The robotaxi allows 6 people to ride simultaneously, sitting face-to-face.
- It is designed to be comfortable and accessible, with features such as a spacious interior and a wheelchair ramp.
- The driverless ride-hailing service will be launched in Japan in early 2026.
- The service will initially launch in central Tokyo with dozens of Origin vehicles, and will then expand to a fleet of 500 vehicles.
“GM has always been invested in defining the future of transportation and that’s more true today than ever,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “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.”
Cruise to offer safe and accessible transportation in Tokyo
Japan is Cruise’s second international market after Dubai. Tokyo city has been chosen due to its potential to be one of the largest driverless ridehail markets in the world asit experience high demand for taxis.
“There is an important and growing societal need for safe and accessible transportation in Japan that autonomous vehicles can provide a solution for,” said Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt. “In addition to societal impact, the business opportunity is also exciting, as Japan represents one of the largest potential autonomous vehicle ridehail markets in the world, with many dense, highly populated cities that have high transportation needs.”
The service will initially launch in central Tokyo with dozens of Origin vehicles, and will then expand to a fleet of 500 vehicles. The companies plan to subsequently expand the service to other parts of Japan. GM will manufacture the autonomous cars for this new JV at Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan.
Joy and freedom of mobility
Honda is committed to creating the “joy and freedom of mobility.” Toshihiro Mibe, the Global CEO of Honda, said that through their driverless ride service collaboration with Cruise and GM, Honda aims to introduce Japanese customers to an enhanced dimension of mobility, elevating the quality of their experiences and delivering the joy of mobility.
He acknowledged the challenges in the way towards creating 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.
