Nissan's autonomous technology for the upcoming Qashqai and Leaf takes its first steps

Nissan will let London’s public try its autonomous technology in a modified Nissan Leaf.

Nissan will begin real-world tests with self-driving cars next month in Great Britain. The Japanese manufacturer will offer a number of passengers the chance to experience and test the autonomous technology it is developing, using a modified Nissan LEAF.

This news follows the recent announcements that both the upcoming Qashqai and the new LEAF, which will arrive soon, will be equipped with the Pro Pilot autonomous driving technology. This system will enable autonomous driving on a single motorway lane.

“Innovation and excitement are at the heart of the Nissan brand and all its people. We have been developing that entrepreneurial spirit for more than half a century in Europe. In a few weeks’ time we will see the Nissan Leaf driving through the streets of London with our autonomous driving technology. Smart mobility with Nissan is something that is happening right now across Europe,” says Paul Willcox, president of Nissan Europe.

To accelerate the arrival of autonomous vehicles, Nissan has announced a cutting-edge technology called “Seamless Autonomous Mobility” (constant smart mobility). The SAM system, developed from NASA technology, connects the artificial intelligence built into the car with human backup to help autonomous vehicles make decisions in unpredictable situations and generate the knowledge of the vehicle’s AI. Nissan expects this technology to allow autonomous and conventional cars to coexist in a shorter period of time than expected.

The Japanese manufacturer has also announced that, for the first time, it will launch several trials aimed at developing driverless vehicles for commercial use. These trials will begin this same year in Japan.

Source: Newspress

Technical specifications of the cars in this article

CrossoverNissan Qashqai19 versions · from 32,200 €

HatchbackNissan Leaf8 versions · from 37,080 €