Carlos Ghosn outlines launch timetable for autonomous drive technologies

JUL

2014

Renault-Nissan Alliance Team

Carlos Ghosn outlines launch timetable for autonomous drive technologies

On July 17, 2014, Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn gave a speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), entitled "The Way Ahead: Trends Reshaping the Auto Industry."

In his speech, he addressed the social and technological trends transforming one of the world's largest manufacturing sectors and how he envisions the auto industry will respond to these new challenges.

He announced the Japanese carmaker’s launch timetable for the latest vehicle automation technologies aimed at accelerating consumer adoption of Autonomous Drive (AD) systems.

Ghosn said new technologies including automated lane controls and highway traffic management systems would demonstrate to consumers the viability and value of AD systems, which Nissan intends to make commercially viable by 2020.

Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo, Ghosn said the new technologies are designed to enhance road safety and driving conditions by automating everyday tasks for motorists.

Unlike pilot-projects for completely self-driving vehicles that are currently undergoing preliminary tests elsewhere in the industry, drivers remain in control and ‘at the wheel’ in Nissan models equipped with AD functions.

“By the end of 2016, Nissan will make available the next two technologies under its Autonomous Drive strategy,” said Ghosn. “We are bringing to market a traffic-jam pilot, a technology enabling cars to drive autonomously – and safely – on congested highways. In the same time-frame, we will make fully-automated parking systems available across a wide range of vehicles.”

Ghosn discussed with assembled media various trends affecting the auto industry, including the rise of mega-cities, increased car connectivity and the impact of exchange rates on manufacturers.

Watch the recording of his speech and read the full Nissan report here