First autonomous Nissan LEAF to begin real-world testing

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Nissan has now registered the first autonomous LEAF for real-world testing in Japan. Sporting a 20-20 licence plate, the car reflects Nissan's goal to be ready with multiple, commercially viable Autonomous Drive vehicles by the year 2020.

"The realization of the Autonomous Drive system is one of our greatest goals, because Zero Fatalities stands alongside Zero Emissions as major objective of Nissan's R&D. Through public road testing, we will further develop the safety, efficiency and reliability of our technology," said Nissan Executive Vice President for Research and Development, Mitsuhiko Yamashita.

The autonomous Nissan LEAF can perform a number of tasks, including:
  • Lane keeping
  • Automatic on/off-ramp exit
  • Automatic lane change
  • Automatic overtaking of slower or stopped vehicles;
  • Automatic deceleration behind congestion on freeways;
  • Automatic stop at red lights.