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Honda launches $102k Level 3 autonomous Legend sedan after 807k miles of highway testing
Honda has launched a limited run of its flagship Legend sedan with the world’s first certified Level 3 autonomous driving technology. The vehicles, which will be limited to 100 units and only available for leasing, are priced at a premium 11 million yen ($102,000).
With an approval from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism in November, the Level 3 autonomous Honda Legend’s Traffic Jam Pilot system allows drivers to adopt a hands-off approach in congested traffic, when traveling slower than 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph) on an expressway.

Like Tesla’s FSD Beta software, Honda’s level 3 system can automatically accelerate, brake, and steer while monitoring the Legend’s surroundings. Unlike Tesla’s camera+AI strategy, however, Honda adopts a GM Supercruise-esque approach by using data from high-definition maps and external sensors.
As noted in a Nikkei Asia report, Honda emphasized that its Level 3 autonomous Legend’s rollout is being done with extreme caution. The Japanese carmaker indicated that it simulated about 10 million possible scenarios on the road before the system’s release. Honda also conducted test drives on highways for approximately 1.3 million kilometers (807,782 miles).
Speed limits are also set lower than the 60 kph (37 mph) allowed by Japan’s regulators.
The Level 3 autonomous Legend sedan offers several “Level 2” driving assistance features similar to Tesla’s Autopilot, such as hands-off driving when following a vehicle in front within a lane, or changing lanes.
Here’s how Honda Traffic Jam Pilot works
I see no reason why Tesla couldn’t remove or reduce the nag at low speeds too if they wanted to @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/R4AW6jVpDV
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) March 5, 2021
While addressing reporters, Yoichi Sugimoto, who oversees driver assistance technology at Honda R&D, noted that the Level 3 autonomous Legend’s self-driving features are designed to reduce the burden for drivers. “Most accidents involve human error, and driving will be more exciting if we can mitigate the driver’s fatigue and stress. We aim to reduce the driving burden… We are entering a new stage of Honda Sensing,” he said.
While the Level 3 autonomous Legend is operating, drivers would be able to use the luxury sedan’s infotainment system through the navigation screen. That being said, Honda notes that drivers must still be ready to respond to the system when the vehicle speeds up after a traffic jam eases. “The driver and the system will share the driving task,” Sugimoto said.
Inasmuch as the limited-run Legends’ functions are impressive, Takaki Nakanishi, the CEO of Nakanishi Research Institute, noted that Honda has a long way to go in terms of its autonomous driving rollout. Nakanishi highlighted that while Honda’s efforts are meaningful, the sensors on the Level 3 autonomous Legends cost millions of yen.
“If the driver helps supervising the driving (as in Level 2 technology), driving assistance functions can be offered at a much cheaper price. The limited features of Level 3 ‘minus’ may not be worth the cost if we compare it with Level 2 ‘plus’ we have today,” Nakanishi said.
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Elon Musk
Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”
The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes.
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.
The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.
Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.
“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.
“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.
The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.
Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.
“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement.
“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”
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Tesla Model Y wins 2026 Drive Car of the Year award in Australia
The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall.
The Tesla Model Y has been named 2026 Drive Car of the Year overall winner, taking the top honor after being judged as the vehicle that “moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers.”
The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall, but the vehicle’s Juniper update strengthened its case with new ownership benefits and expanded software capability.
Drive’s overall award compares category winners and looks at which model most significantly advances the local new car market. In 2026, judges pointed to the Model Y’s five-year warranty and the availability of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a monthly subscription as key differentiators.
Priced from AU$58,900 before on-road costs, the all-electric crossover SUV offers a lot of value compared to similarly sized petrol and hybrid rivals. The ability to access Tesla’s Supercharger network across Australia also reduces friction for buyers moving to EV ownership.
Owners can add FSD (Supervised) for AU$149 per month. While it still requires driver oversight, the system expands the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance capabilities and reflects Tesla’s software-first approach.
“The default choice for a reason. The Tesla Model Y makes the transition to electric both effortless and rewarding,” Drive wrote.
The 2025 Model Y facelift also sharpened the vehicle’s exterior, highlighted by a distinctive rear light bar that gives the crossover SUV a more modern road presence.
Drive described the Model Y as a benchmark for combining practicality, efficiency and technology at an accessible price point. With eligibility for federal Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions through novated leasing, its value proposition has improved for numerous buyers.
For 2026, the Model Y’s combination of range efficiency, charging access and software capability proved decisive. Ultimately, the award all but cements the Model Y’s position as one of the most influential vehicles in Australia’s evolving new-car market today.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reiterates rapid Starship V3 timeline with next launch in sight
Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.”
Elon Musk has confirmed that Starship will fly again next month, reiterating SpaceX’s aggressive timeline for the first launch of its Starship V3 rocket.
Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.” The CEO’s post was accompanied by a video of Starship’s Super Heavy booster being successfully caught by a launch tower in Starbase, Texas.
The timeline is notable. In late January, Musk stated that Starship’s next flight, Flight 12, was expected in about six weeks. This placed the expected mission date sometime in March. That estimate aligned with SpaceX’s earlier statement that Starship’s 12th flight test “remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.”
If the vehicle does indeed fly next month, it would mark the debut of Starship V3, the upgraded platform expected to feature the rocket’s new Raptor V3 engines.
Raptor V3 is designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. Starship V3 itself is expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars.
Starship V3 is widely viewed as the version that transitions the program from experimental testing to true operational scaling. Previous iterations have completed multiple integrated flight tests, with mixed outcomes but steady progress. Expectations are high that SpaceX is now working on Starship’s refinement.
An aggressive launch schedule supports several priorities at once. It advances Starlink’s next-generation satellite deployment, supports NASA’s lunar ambitions under Artemis, and keeps SpaceX on track for its longer-term Moon and Mars objectives.