Honda Reveals a Driverless Valet Parking Feature on a Special Fit EV

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. - Nov. 11, 2013 - PRLog -- Team Honda, a highly regarded auto dealership in Merrillville, IN (http://www.teamhondaon30.com/honda-dealer-in-merrillville/), is looking forward to being able to offer new Honda vehicles that will practically drive themselves. At the very least, they’ll be able to slip into a parking spot easily and without incident. This is the kind of system that Honda debuted recently at the Intelligent Transportation Systems World Congress in Tokyo.

The new system was installed on a prototype Honda Fit EV (http://www.teamhondaon30.com/2013-honda-fit-ev/). The system works with input from cameras mounted outside of the car combined with the information from the car’s rearview camera. In an appropriately equipped parking log, a driver could simply drop their car off at one central location — much like a valet stand — and the car would be able to park itself. The central kiosk uses a touchscreen display so that, when drivers return to the lot, they can summon their car again.

This could relieve congestion in parking lots and minimize walking time from car to destination. The ideal setting for such a system would be a large parking lot — such as one serving a shopping mall, sports venue, concert venue, or even an office building. Honda estimates that this technology should be viable by 2020.

At the Intelligent Transportation Systems World Congress, Honda also showed off some semi-autonomous vehicles that can handle most driving responsibilities and a contactless recharging system for electric vehicles. Honda envisions roadways without accidents through cooperative systems — that would mean infrastructural and vehicular networking in order to allow cars and roads to communicate and avoid accidents. Honda has even successfully tested technology that helps to alleviate or prevent traffic jams using only a smartphone app.

Team Honda is a leading dealership serving drivers throughout northwest Indiana at 4613 E. Lincoln Highway (http://www.teamhondaon30.com/hours-and-directions/) in Merrillville. Team Honda has the current Honda lineup in stock, along with a wide variety of pre-owned vehicles. The dealership also provides service and support to area drivers. Team Honda can be reached at 877-871-3062 for sales or 219-947-0770 for service.