Nissan to launch self-driving cars by 2020
IRVINE, California , August 28, 2013
Nissan Motor Co said it will be ready to bring fully self-driving vehicles to market by 2020. The vehicles will be sold "at realistic prices for consumers," the company said at a media event in Irvine, California.
The Japanese automaker said it plans to offer "multiple, commercially viable" vehicles that are capable of autonomous operation without driver input.
Nissan said its goal is to offer autonomous cars "across the model range within two vehicle generations" - about 10-12 years after the projected 2020 launch.
The company said it has been researching and developing autonomous vehicles "for years" with such top universities as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Oxford, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Tokyo. It is building a dedicated test track in Japan for autonomous vehicles that will be completed by next spring.
Google, the Internet search leader, launched an autonomous car program in 2010 and has built and is testing several different versions, including one based on Toyota Motor Corp's Prius. - Reuters
