Nissan road tests self driving technology with eyes on 2027 for market launch

Automotive giant Nissan has started road demonstrations of its own driverless technology, with a view to selling the services within several years.

The Japanese manufacturer has showcased the tech on roads around its Yokohama headquarters ahead of plans to launch the systems to the market in 2027. Pictures have been released of a Nissan Leaf model equipped with 14 cameras, 10 radars and 6 LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors showing it driving through busy and complex roads in the city, south of Tokyo.

The latest prototype features a large, roof-mounted system which incorporates sensors that expand the car's field of vision - making detection of its surroundings more accurate. Nissan says the advances have helped it improve the systems' ability to predict behaviours of pedestrians and other road users, make judgements, as well as enhance its overall control for a smoother ride.

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Technicians at the global manufacturer say the prototype has been able to safely change lanes when merging and judge when to drive into intersections. It follows autonomous drive testing in London, where Nissan has received UK Government support.

The results are the culmination of several years' work, with Nissan saying it has studied business models for 'future mobility services' since its 2017 fiscal year. It now intends to build the functionality and to begin offering the autonomous drive services, initially in Japan, by 2027.

Later this year it will start trials in the Minato Mirai area in Yokohama with further plans to carry out service demonstration tests within fiscal year 2025. The plan is to gradually increase the autonomous features of the systems as it builds customer confidence. Nissan said the work is being carried out in close cooperation with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; and other central ministries.

A number of other major manufacturers have been developing autonomous driving systems, including Toyota, which has invested substantially in software development and research in the US. The sector's poster child, Tesla, has worked on autopilot and self driving technologies while General Motors-owned Cruise has developed self driving systems with Honda signalling it could bring hands free, driving assist features to the US market by 2030.

An announcement from Nissan about its latest demonstrations said: "Nissan’s long-term vision is to empower mobility by solving transportation service issues faced by local communities. Local communities, particularly within Japan have been facing several mobility challenges, such as driver shortages, which are a result of an ageing population. Supporting a resolution to this challenge, Nissan will provide a broad range of new services that enable free movement."