Nissan has become the first car manufacturer to unleash an autonomous, self-driving vehicle on the public highways of Japan as part of its programme to take the technology to the mass market by 2050.
The company worked with the Kanagawa prefectural government to perform public testing of a modified Nissan Leaf electric vehicle fitted with self-driving technology it calls Autonomous Drive. The vehicle, with Nissan vice chair Toshiyuki Shiga and Kanagawa governor Yuji Kuroiwa as its passengers, successfully completed a short test drive on the Sagami Expressway, southwest of Yokohama, without incident.
"I feel we are very near to creating fully autonomous drive [vehicles]," claimed Nissan's Shiga of the test. "We entered the highway, overtook slower cars, and got off the highway, entirely in autonomous driving mode. We entered the highway very slowly, at 40 km/hour, and [were then] driving at 80 km/hour on the highway. Autonomous drive is becoming very realistic now."
The governor was more guarded in his appreciation of the technology, but still positive. "This technology is still in its infant stage. It lacks road experience, but by accumulating those experiences, the technology will further evolve" Kuroiwa told press. "The more it learns from driving time, the more intelligent the system becomes, as well as safer. I was amazed by the capabilities of this car."
The public test followed a trial of the vehicle on closed roads by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and forms part of Nissan's aim to bring Autonomous Drive technology to the mass market by 2020.
The company worked with the Kanagawa prefectural government to perform public testing of a modified Nissan Leaf electric vehicle fitted with self-driving technology it calls Autonomous Drive. The vehicle, with Nissan vice chair Toshiyuki Shiga and Kanagawa governor Yuji Kuroiwa as its passengers, successfully completed a short test drive on the Sagami Expressway, southwest of Yokohama, without incident.
"I feel we are very near to creating fully autonomous drive [vehicles]," claimed Nissan's Shiga of the test. "We entered the highway, overtook slower cars, and got off the highway, entirely in autonomous driving mode. We entered the highway very slowly, at 40 km/hour, and [were then] driving at 80 km/hour on the highway. Autonomous drive is becoming very realistic now."
The governor was more guarded in his appreciation of the technology, but still positive. "This technology is still in its infant stage. It lacks road experience, but by accumulating those experiences, the technology will further evolve" Kuroiwa told press. "The more it learns from driving time, the more intelligent the system becomes, as well as safer. I was amazed by the capabilities of this car."
The public test followed a trial of the vehicle on closed roads by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and forms part of Nissan's aim to bring Autonomous Drive technology to the mass market by 2020.
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