Neither Nissan nor its French alliance partner Renault are out in force at the Consumer Electronics Show but the companies are keen to remind you that their autonomous car developments are proceeding at full speed. In a joint statement, the Renault Nissan alliance confirmed that together it will offer more than 10 cars with self-driving technology between now and the end of 2020. Expect a few of those models to be from the Infiniti range, too.
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Importantly, Renault Nissan is committed to offering the potentially life-saving technology on mainstream, mass-market cars at affordable prices. Recall, studies have shown that driver error is responsible for close to 90 percent of all road-related fatalities, something self-driving technology could potentially eliminate.
“[The] Renault Nissan alliance is deeply committed to the twin goals of zero emissions and zero fatalities,” CEO Carlos Ghosn said during a presentation this week at a Renault Nissan research facility in Silicon Valley. “That’s why we are developing autonomous driving and connectivity for mass-market, mainstream vehicles on three continents.”
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As has been the case with other firms rolling out autonomous capabilities, Renault Nissan will introduce the technology gradually. This year, Renault Nissan will offer a traffic jam assistant that will allow a car to drive autonomously and safely in heavy, stop-and-go traffic. In 2018, the alliance will introduce technology that allows a car to autonomously negotiate hazards and change lanes on stretches of highway or similar multi-lane roads. And by 2020, the alliance plans to introduce vehicles that can navigate without driver intervention in nearly all situations, including complex city driving.
Pictured above is Nissan's IDS concept car from the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The concept previewed Nissan's most advanced self-driving technology, which the automaker refers to as Piloted Driving.
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