Nissan Readies Self-Driving Technology

At next week’s Tokyo auto show, Nissan Motor Co. will unveil a new concept vehicle that the company says represents its “vision of car intelligence and electrification.”

The company has released a dimly lit image of the vehicle, which media reports suggest will preview the second-generation Leaf all-electric hatchback that’s due in 2017, but hasn't provided any other details.

Nissan also demonstrated a prototype Leaf with various self-driving technologies on Friday at its test facility near Tokyo. Equipped with a dozen cameras, five radar sensors, four laser scanners and a host of ultrasonic sensors, the car is capable of merging onto a highway, changing lanes and passing other vehicles without any driver inputs.

Nissan plans to begin offering some autonomous features by the end of 2016 in Japan. It and several other carmakers have identified 2020 as a target timeframe to commercialize more advanced self-driving systems.