Honda Motor Co is taking a major step toward its ambitious goal of eliminating traffic collision fatalities through a new multi-year collaboration with AI start-up, Helm.ai. The partnership will bring advanced artificial intelligence to Honda's vehicles, making self-driving capabilities more accessible and safer for everyday consumers.
At the heart of this collaboration is Honda's commitment to developing autonomous driving technology that prioritises real-world safety over flashy features. The company's Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) system represents a conservative but comprehensive approach to self-driving, requiring constant driver attention while aiding drivers with both highway and complex urban driving scenarios.
What sets Honda's approach apart is its use of Helm.ai's vision-based artificial intelligence, which can predict vehicle paths in real-time using only cameras rather than expensive sensors like lidar. This vision-first approach, demonstrated through Helm.ai Vision unveiled in June 2025, makes advanced safety features more affordable for typical car buyers rather than limiting them to luxury vehicles.
The system uses end-to-end AI architecture that learns from massive datasets to handle everything from recognising pedestrians and cyclists to making split-second decisions about steering and braking. The AI models are specifically adapted to Honda's rigorous safety standards and will be tested extensively before deployment.
Honda plans to introduce these capabilities first in its new 0 Series electric vehicles, which will launch in 2026, with broader roll-out across all Honda models planned for after 2027. The technology will eventually assist with accelerator and steering control throughout entire trips, seamlessly transitioning between city streets and highways.
"Through our collaboration with Helm.ai, we are advancing the development of AI technologies that enhance the real-world applicability of autonomous driving systems, bringing us closer to a future with zero traffic collision fatalities," emphasised Mahito Shikama, Honda's vice president of Software Defined Vehicle Business.
This partnership builds on Honda's 2021 investment in Helm.ai and the start-up's subsequent R524 million Series B funding round. With Helm.ai having raised R1.8 billion in total, the collaboration combines Honda's automotive safety expertise with Silicon Valley's AI innovation, potentially accelerating the timeline for making roads significantly safer for all users.
Stellantis and Bolt have announced a partnership to jointly explore the development and deployment of Level 4 autonomous vehicles for commercial operations across Europe, marking a significant step to bring driverless mobility to the continent's streets.
Geely Auto South Africa is preparing to take its rightful place in the local automotive market, with 33 dealerships already operating within a month after the Chinese auto giant’s return to the country.
Zweli Sibiya, Dealer Principal of Hyundai Benoni, is a man who rose from humble beginnings to lead one of the top-performing dealerships.
Advertisement
Advertisement
I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
According to a Reuters report, Ford and Renault have agreed to work together on a new generation of compact, lower-priced electric cars for Europe, while also expanding cooperation on commercial vans, as both manufacturers seek to defend their market positions against increasingly aggressive Chinese rivals.
As South Africa forges ahead in the automotive landscape, a notable divide has emerged in the growing realm of new-energy vehicles.
Kenya’s automotive industry recently made headlines when Tad Motors unveiled its first range of locally assembled electric vehicles (EVs), igniting discussions across Africa about the continent’s growing capacity for indigenous mobility solutions.
