[Nfbf-l] Nissan promises self-driving cars | News

[Alan Dicey]

Irvine, California, -  - Nissan said it will be ready to bring fully 
self-driving vehicles to market by 2020.

The Japanese automaker said it plans to offer "multiple, commercially 
viable" vehicles that are capable of autonomous operation without driver 
input.

The self-driving vehicles will be sold "at realistic prices for
consumers", the company said at a media event in Irvine, California.

Nissan said its goal is to offer autonomous cars "across the model
range within two vehicle generations" - about 10 - 12 years after the
projected 2020 launch.

The company said it has been researching and developing autonomous vehicles 
"for years" with such top universities as Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, Stanford, Oxford, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Tokyo.

It is building a dedicated test track in Japan for autonomous vehicles that 
will be completed by 2014.

Google, the internet search leader, launched an autonomous car programme in 
2010 and has built and is testing several different versions, including one 
based on Toyota's Prius.
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