Nissan Affirms Autonomous Vehicle Technology Plans
Nissan Motor Co. currently is testing several driver-assist technologies it plans to begin offering on select models by 2017, Autocar reports.
Nissan Motor Co. currently is testing several driver-assist technologies it plans to begin offering on select models by 2017, Autocar reports.
The focus is on improving safety and reducing driver stress especially for elderly motorists rather than creating a fully autonomous vehicle, David Moss, the company's vice president of vehicle design and development, tells the U.K. magazine. "We don't want to take the fun out of the cars," he adds.
Nissan's driver-assist rollout will start with automated braking and throttle functions for city driving, Moss says. This will be followed in a few years with lane-changing capability for highway driving. Moss adds that the new features will debut in top-end Nissan and Infiniti models first but eventually migrate throughout the carmaker's lineup.
CEO Carlos Ghosn outlined similar plans last year. Nissan also is partnering with NASA's Ames Research Center in California to develop autonomous vehicle technologies.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Report Predicts Limited Impact of Autonomous Tech on Professional Drivers
A new study says autonomous vehicles will displace some taxi drivers but have only a modest impact on the number of truck driver jobs over the next 10 years.
-
On Ford Maverick, Toyota Tundra Hybrid, and GM's Factory Footprint
GM is transforming its approach to the auto market—and its factories. Ford builds a small truck for the urban market. Toyota builds a full-size pickup and uses a hybrid instead of a diesel. And Faurecia thinks that hydrogen is where the industry is going.
-
GM Develops a New Electrical Platform
GM engineers create a better electrical architecture that can handle the ever-increasing needs of vehicle systems