MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KTVU) -- Honda held a grand opening of a new research and development facility in Mountain View Thursday, becoming the latest in a wave of automakers that are revving up R&D operations in Silicon Valley.
Adding to the celebration, Honda made an unusual move in unveiling its highest-tech car to date, the 2016 Honda Accord, at the grand opening celebration Thursday, a product rollout that usually is reserved for Detroit and the big national auto shows.
"The combination of the application of Honda sensing technology and in-vehicle connectivity including Apple Carplay and Android Auto make this the most technologically advanced Accord we've ever brought to market," said Sage Marie, a spokesman for American Honda.
As smartphones become essential devices, smart vehicles are becoming the future of the auto industry.
"Traditionally a car drives, turns, stops, and we are very good at it. And Detroit is good at it. But when it comes to a "car connect" for the future, car companies may not be necessarily the leader of the mobile connectivity industry," said Nick Sugimoto, the Honda Silicon Valley Lab, Senior Program Director.
So instead of reinventing the wheel, Honda, along with Volkswagen, Mercedes, Ford and others are setting up R&D shops here to form partnerships with Silicon Valley innovators.
"For us and for other car companies, we're not going to be able to do it alone. We're going to have to partner up," said Frank Paluch, President of Honda North America R&D.
Concept cars and robots were also on display, with demonstrations of a Honda-developed motorized unicycle called the Uni-Cub.
It's a departure from the old, secret, closed-door R&D approach, in favor of tech partnerships and incubating innovations.
HK Ueda, who co-founded Drivemode, an app that integrates any car with a smartphone says they worked with Honda and got from zero to product launch next Tuesday, in just one month.
"We actually work out of a garage right now. We're a ten person company in San Jose," Ueda told KTVU about his experience working with the Honda lab staff, "And they come to our garage...so it's just that close personal communication and getting things done quickly."
Ueda says while automakers come to Silicon Valley to learn about the latest tech innovations, Silicon Valley innovators and developers benefit by learning about the automotive industry.
It is a two-way street. And perhaps, a sign of the auto industry turning a corner with a wide open road of possibilities ahead.