• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Pandemic Accelerated Auto Dealers’ Shift to Digital-Oriented Sales Process
  • Detroit Auto Show Back Again in September
  • First Look: All-Electric Volvo EX30
  • Stellantis’ Burst of Leadership Changes
  • Mazda Turbocharges its Carbon Roster
  • Ford Recalls 125K Vehicles Due to Fire-Causing Engine Failures
  • Honda “At the Crossroads” as it Races to Catch Up with EV Leaders
  • Cyclists, You’re Less Likely to Get Hit by a Subaru
  • Chevrolet Celebrates Camaro with Collector’s Edition
  • Volvo Rides EVs to Big Uptick in May Global Sales
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali Ultimate
    • A Week With: 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 SE
    • A Week With: 2023 Kia Niro SX Touring
    • A Week With: 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Estrema Q4
    • A Week With: 2023 Lexus NX 350h Luxury
    • A Week With: 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line
    • First Drive: 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium RWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Electrified GV70 AWD Prestige
    • A Week With: 2023 BMW XM
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automobiles > Nissan to Test Robocabs Ahead of 2022 Launch of First Fully Autonomous Vehicles

        Nissan to Test Robocabs Ahead of 2022 Launch of First Fully Autonomous Vehicles

        Japanese maker plans to bring increasingly sophisticated self-driving tech to market each year.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        Dec. 11, 2017
        A prototype, 1st-gen Nissan Leaf is shown during testing in Tokyo traffic.

        One of the first automakers to commit to developing autonomous vehicle technology, Nissan plans to begin field-testing its first robocabs in Japan next year, part of an expanding development program aimed at putting fully autonomous vehicles into production by 2022.

        The pilot program, pairing Nissan with technology development firm DeNA, will operate near the Japanese automaker’s headquarters in Yokohama. It will be the latest in a fast-growing series of self-driving ride-share programs, including one started by Google spin-off Waymo this year. Lyft is launching its own field test in Boston. And Nissan’s alliance partner, Renault has been testing similar technology in France.

        Tech Talk!

        Nissan last week revealed it intends to have its first fully autonomous vehicle in production sometime during the 2022 calendar year. But the carmaker plans to introduce a series of increasingly sophisticated, semi-autonomous technologies before then, starting with the ProPilot system debuting on the 2018 Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle.

        (Lyft to launch driverless ride-share pilot in Boston. Click Here for more.)

        Virtually every major automaker – as well as a number of start-ups and tech firms – is now working on autonomous vehicle technology. New rules being proposed in Congress would make it easier for those companies to run tests on public roads. But a number of pilot programs already are underway in the U.S. and abroad.

        The second-generation Nissan Leaf adds semi-autonomous ProPilot technology for 2018.

        Nissan is set to become the latest with the Yokohama field test. The project will run for two weeks in March in part of downtown Yokohama and it will rely on two specially modified Leaf battery-electric vehicles.

        As with Waymo’s program, participants would sign up and then ride for free. But the Japanese pilot would limit where volunteers could get on and off to designated pickup points, rather than letting them summon a ride as they might with a conventional cab or ride-sharing service.

        An operator will be assigned to the two Nissan robocabs, ready to take control in an emergency. Nissan has not set a timetable for testing a completely driverless vehicle. Waymo has also been using backup operators, but it now plans to begin testing fully driverless models, as well.

        (Click Here for more about GM’s driverless ride-sharing plans.)

        Japan’s second-largest automaker was among the first to lay out plans to bring autonomous technology to market. At an event in California in August 2013, former Nissan global product chief Andy Palmer declared, “We will be ready to bring a readily affordable, fully affordable autonomous vehicle to the market by 2020.”

        Last week, the automaker said it would not get there until 2022. Whether its timetable has actually slipped, however, is a matter of interpretation. The industry trade group SAE has defined various levels of autonomy, starting with driver-assistance features like active cruise control up to Level 5 systems that can operate without a human anywhere and any time.

        An autonomous prototype developed by nuTonomy, one of the models Lyft will begin using in Boston.

        For 2018, Nissan is launching ProPilot on a number of models, including the second-generation Leaf. The system is capable of not only maintaining a vehicle’s position in traffic but also holding its position in a lane – though the driver is still required to maintain at least a light grip on the steering wheel.

        An even more sophisticated Nissan system, likely capable of hands-free operation – and similar to the new Cadillac Super Cruise – is expected by 2019. And several sources tell TheDetroitBureau.com that what some might consider a true, autonomous vehicle would join the Nissan line-up by 2020. It would add the ability to operate on urban roads, not just well-marked, limited-access highways. But a driver/operator would still need to sit behind the wheel, ready to take over if needed.

        The carmaker is expecting to reach Level 5 by 2022. Such a vehicle would be able to operate anywhere without a driver and could even function on unmarked roads or in bad weather conditions.

        Nissan is not saying where it will market such a vehicle, however the technology needed to get there is still expected to be quite costly. That’s why Ford and General Motors, among others, initially plan to target fleet users with their first Level 5 systems. These could include ride-sharing services, such as Uber or Lyft, as well as delivery fleets.

        (Chinese ride-sharing giant Didi eyeing opportunities in North America. Click Here for the story.)

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        APA talks dealers and Covid

        Pandemic Accelerated Auto Dealers’ Shift to Digital-Oriented Sales Process

        Yesterday
        2022 NAIAS show floor

        Detroit Auto Show Back Again in September

        Yesterday

        First Look: All-Electric Volvo EX30

        Yesterday

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: