Unlike Tesla, Mercedes and Volvo, Nissan has been pretty quiet when it comes to autonomous driving technology – but that’s all about to change. After revealing the new Nissan Leaf and Qashqai will have autonomous technology, the Japanese manufacturer has just announced it will begin testing driverless technology in London.
The trial, starting next month, will be the first time Nissan’s autonomous technology has been used in Europe, and it’s going to kick off in London. Nissan tells us the exact route and location in the capital is still being finalised, but the final testing program will be approved by local authorities, and should include broad range of roads – and traffic. – but it also underlines the company’s commitment to the UK after Brexit.
The new trial underlines the company’s commitment to the UK after Brexit. It wasn’t long ago that Nissan also pledged to
The news comes after Nissan’s Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, was visited by Greg Clark, the UK secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy.
As for the driverless cars? Nissan hasn’t said how long, or how large the trial is, and it’s also not how clear what’s actually being tested. For example, the cars could be using their autonomous tech with driver supervision, or they could be collecting data while being operated by a human driver.
It’s a significant step for Nissan in Europe, and the presence of Clark also shows the UK government’s willingness to work with manufacturers when it comes to autonomous tech.
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