Nissan says its refreshed Nissan Qashqai will be the first Nissan car in Europe – and the first UK-manufactured car – equipped with autonomous technology in 2017 with ProPilot. It has also reiterated the timeline for the rollout of more advanced autonomous driving technologies.
ProPilot is described as Nissan's stage one autonomous drive technology. It enables the car to drive autonomously and safely in a single lane in heavy traffic conditions on highways.
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The introduction of ProPilot in Europe next year is the first step in Nissan's longer-term commitment to launch a range of vehicles with autonomous drive capabilities by 2020.
In 2018 'multiple-lane control' in Nissan cars will allow them to autonomously negotiate hazards and change lanes while driving, the company says. The year 2020 will see the planned launch of 'intersection autonomy,' which will allow cars to navigate busy city junctions and heavy urban traffic without driver intervention.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance has already announced it will launch more than 10 vehicles with autonomous drive technology by 2020 in the United States, Europe, Japan and China. The technology will be installed on mainstream, mass-market cars at affordable prices, with a focus on accessibility to all customers.
The proposed new UK legislation for the insuring of self-driving cars will have a significant role in the adoption and integration of the breakthrough technology that can help reduce traffic congestion and vehicle incidents on UK roads, as well as creating new jobs in the UK's high-tech economy, the company says.
