Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., has made an announcement and said that new technologies including automated lane controls and highway traffic management systems will be introduced over the next four years, and that these technologies would demonstrate to consumers the viability and value of Autonomous Drive systems, which Nissan intends to make commercially viable by 2020. Autonomous Drive technologies, which are being introduced progressively by Nissan, are designed to enhance road safety and driving conditions by automating everyday tasks for motorists. Unlike pilot-projects for completely self-driving vehicles, currently undergoing preliminary tests elsewhere in the industry, drivers will remain in control and “at the wheel” in Nissan models equipped with Autonomous Drive functions – so essentially they will not be fully autonomous.
“By the end of 2016, Nissan will make available the next two technologies under its autonomous drive strategy,” said Mr. Ghosn. “We are bringing to market a traffic-jam pilot, a technology enabling cars to drive autonomously – and safely – on congested highways. In the same timeframe, we will make fully-automated parking systems available across a wide range of vehicles.”
So it seems that the future is not too far away, and before you know, we might just have fully autonomous cars on roads throughout the world.