Self-Driving Nissan Leaf Hits European Streets for the First Time

Mar 01, 2017 12:00 PM EST | Joyce Vega

The autonomous 2017 Nissan Leaf utilizes millimeter wave radar, high-speed computer chips, laser scanners, cameras and a specialized Human-Machine Interface. It also has a lot of other components, to navigate through the demanding conditions of London streets.

According to Motor 1, Nissan is committed to delivering their Nissan Intelligent Mobility to the customers. In 2016, the company released its ProPilot system on the Selena minivan, with the hopes for the system to appear on the Leaf and Qashqai crossover later this year. The system is designed only for highway use with single-lane traffic. The system that it's currently being tested in London is made for urban multi-lane environments.

Most of the major automakers are playing catch-up with companies such as Tesla and Google in the autonomous category. Tesla has had its autopilot since 2014. Google’s self-driving car debuted in 2009 and had logged over 2 million miles. Nissan also plans to launch the next phase of its autonomous driving technology in 2018. It will expand the system to multi-lane functionality on highways.

According to Stuff, Britain has solicited developers of autonomous vehicles with the hopes to grab a slice of an industry it estimates could be worth £900 billion worldwide by 2025. Britain’s approach towards testing autonomous vehicles has helped Nissan pick London for its first European tests. The car traveled at up to 80km per hour and moved from local streets to major multi-lane roads.

The route was previously discussed with police, and Nissan advised to keep a full log that would be shared in the event of an incident. 2017 Nissan Leaf can switch from a conventional to a self-driving mode with just a push of a button. The car is equipped with two dozen cameras, radars, and lasers that help guide its path. Nissan hopes to carry out similar trials in other European cities soon after this week’s London trials.

See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?

© 2024 Auto World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Get the Most Popular Autoworld Stories in a Weekly Newsletter

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics