Nissan demonstrates self-driving car in Tokyo
Article continues below
Nissan wants to commercialize its automated driving technology for use on public roads by 2020 ahead of industry rivals Toyota Motor and Honda Motor.
The prototype, based on Nissan’s Leaf electric vehicle, traveled about 17 kilometers in Tokyo’s Koto Ward in the trial.
In the test run, in which members of the media were invited to ride in the car, the driver switched to a self-driving mode that uses cameras and sensors to monitor traffic lights and road signs.
The car was unsteady for a brief time when running on a section of road where lane markings were unclear.
The driver returned to a manual driving mode at one point when the car entered a crowded road and was unable to smoothly change driving lanes on its own.
Major Japanese automakers are trying to develop self-driving vehicles ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. ■