Nissan to test autonomous cars in London

Nissan will bring real-world demonstrations of autonomous driving cars to Britain next month. The Japanese car-maker will be deploying modified versions of its electric LEAF in London. Details of the borough in which the driverless trials will take place have yet to be revealed.

Nissan said passengers will include government officials, technical and safety experts. These will be the first demonstrations of Nissan’s autonomous drive technology on public roads in Europe.

NTCE, the European R&D hub for Nissan, is developing autonomous drive technologies as well as new advanced fuel, energy and efficiency technologies, in collaboration with the Nissan Technical Centre and Advanced Technical Centre in Japan.

Nissan has recently launched concept it calls "Intelligent Mobility", which envisages a transformation in how cars are driven, powered and integrated into wider society. Nissan is introducing elements of autonomous driving into its production models. It has announced the refreshed Qashqai and new LEAF models will be equipped with autonomous drive technology to enable single lane autonomous driving on motorways.

The announcement was made following a visit to the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield in Bedfordshire, by Greg Clark, secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy. Clark said: “Government and industry are working together to build on our world class reputation for excellence as a leading location for automotive R&D and manufacturing. We want to see centres, like Nissan's here in Cranfield, continue to develop, making us a world leader in the development and testing of auto technology so we can anchor the next generation of vehicle manufacturing and its supply chain here in the UK.”

Opened in 1991, NTCE is home to around 1,200 employees. Current projects include the development of vehicle-to-grid technology integration, electric battery advancements and the new Nissan Qashqai. Paul Willcox, chairman of Nissan Europe, said: “We’ve been developing that pioneering spirit for over half a century in Europe and for over 30 years in Britain. With future models secured and cutting-edge innovation being developed right here in the UK, we’re looking forward to a strong future of designing, engineering and manufacturing in the country for customers right across the world.”