GM, Cruise, Honda to establish JV to launch driverless ridehail in Japan

General Motors, alongside Cruise and Honda, have announced a memorandum of understanding, MoU, to establish a new joint venture, JV, company to launch a driverless ridehail service in Japan starting in early 2026. “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.” The opportunity for the ridehail service in Japan, which is expected to be the first of its kind, is huge. Japan has the potential to be one of the largest driverless ridehail markets in the world as large cities experience high demand for taxis. GM will manufacture approximately 500 Origins for the launch of this new JV at Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan, the launchpad for GM’s multi-brand EV and AV future.