November 25, 2013

NISSAN CARRIES OUT FIRST PUBLIC ROAD TEST OF AUTONOMOUS DRIVE ON EXPRESSWAYS IN JAPAN


Nissan Motor Corporation has carried out the first public road test of Autonomous Drive on a Japanese highway. A Nissan LEAF electric vehicle equipped with the revolutionary technology took to the Sagami Expressway in Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, with the prefecture’s Governor, Yuji Kuroiwa, and Nissan Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga, on board. The vehicle operated fully automatically on the highway. Journalists witnessed the tests and later had the opportunity to experience the car on the highway themselves.

“Nissan seeks a safer, more comfortable and environmentally-friendly mobile future,” said Shiga, vice chairman of Nissan. “Through these tests on an expressway, we hope to further advance our technological development, with the goal of soon implementing Autonomous Drive vehicles. When starting a new project, serious effort is required to gain an understanding of all the variables involved. We were able to conduct this important testing on the Sagami Expressway thanks to the strong support from Kanagawa Prefecture.”