Renault-Nissan to launch over 10 autonomous cars by 2020

Renault-Nissan has confirmed plans to launch more than 10 vehicles featuring autonomous driving technology before 2020. The models will go on sale in the United States, Japan, China and Europe over the next four years.

In a company statement issued, Renault-Nissan has said that the technology will be “installed on mainstream, mass-market cars at affordable prices”. Renault-Nissan has also added that it will launch a “suite of new connectivity applications that will make it easier for people to stay connected to work, entertainment and social networks”.

While no models have been confirmed for the technology as yet, the next-generation Nissan Leaf would be a prime candidate given the recent IDS Concept at the Tokyo show that previewed the next Leaf featuring autonomous technology.

Announcing the news at the firm’s Silicon Valley research centre in California, Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO, Renault-Nissan BV said, “Renault-Nissan Alliance is deeply committed to the twin goals of zero emissions and zero fatalities. That’s why we are developing autonomous driving and connectivity for mass-market, mainstream vehicles on three continents.”

The firm is gradually introducing autonomous technologies to its models, and this year will offer a ‘single-lane control’ system that allows cars to travel autonomously on the single lane of a highway, including when driving in traffic.

In 2018, a ‘multi-lane control’ system will allow the car to automatically change lanes and avoid hazards when driving autonomously on the highway. Two years after that its ‘intersection autonomy’ function will arrive, which will allow a car to navigate junctions and heavy traffic in urban areas. All of the technology will be at the option of the driver, who can take back control at any time.