Honda Expects Self-Driving Models Soon

We can expect some big things coming soon from Honda, as the automaker looks to throw its hat into the autonomous vehicle ring.
Five years in the automotive industry is only a small amount of time on the market. Often, it takes longer than this to develop and create the models that are offered on the market as new models, and when it comes to new technology, this period of time could be much less than what’s needed to get the job done and offer what we’re looking for when it’s time to drive on the roads. This is also the time period that a filing for a patent can stay active in some locations, putting an expiration date on what is filed and a goal date to have something developed.

Recently, Honda filed a patent with the European Intellectual Property Office, which appears to be a design that might be one that will be part of the mobility movement over the next several years. What makes this an interesting filing isn’t as much what the car might look like when and if it comes to the market, but the fact that this filing will expire on November 13, 2022, which is only five years away from now. This puts a timeframe on when Honda intends to put this car on the road.

Is Honda’s new mobility concept possible?

Of course, the mobility concept is a possibility; Honda has already shown us a pair of concepts at recent auto shows that have a similar style and a futuristic feeling to them. The challenge for Honda won’t be the style of the vehicle or the design that we see, but the idea that it might be a self-driving mobility solution. This filing shows us a vehicle that appears to look more akin to a pod that could be enjoyed on the roads around your area. Imagine hailing a ride with Uber or Lyft and seeing this pod roll up to you in order to give you the drive you want.
While it makes sense to be ahead of the game when filing patents, and if the technology isn’t present in five years, Honda can certainly renew this patent, it costs money to file and the longer the reservation is placed the more money this can cost. Honda appears to expect self-driving technology to be in place before this patent will expire and be something that can be experienced on the roads to offer this new vehicle as a mobility solution that’s electric and able to drive itself.
Will this new model that was filed become a model we’ll see on the market? It’s hard to say for sure if five years is enough time for this vehicle to arrive, or if the technology will be in place by then, but it’s certainly interesting to discuss. Honda is working to develop the EV and mobility programs we will enjoy over the next several years. Probably the biggest question of all is whether or not this new model will arrive with or without a driver behind the wheel before this patent expires?