Nissan may introduce self-driving car by 2018
Nissan is committed to聽, but the automaker鈥檚 CEO Carlos Ghosn says the technology could be ready two years before that date. Speaking with聽, Mr. Ghosn, the head of the world鈥檚 fourth largest automaker, Renault Nissan, said self-driving聽cars聽could be on the roads by 2018, provided red tape doesn鈥檛 hold them back.
"The problem isn't technology, it's legislation, and the whole question of responsibility that goes with these cars moving around ... and especially who is responsible once there is no longer anyone inside," he says.聽
Ghosn listed the US together with France and Japan as 鈥減ioneer countries鈥� where self-driving cars could first appear. However, he鈥檚 confident that most major markets could see self-driving cars on the roads shortly after.
The ramped-up schedule stems from an聽聽in April. Among other things mentioned in the new UN Convention on Road Traffic, there's a provision to allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheels of autonomous聽vehicles, provided there's a way for drivers to switch off the self-driving systems if necessary.
France, Germany, and Italy lobbied for the updated provision鈥攎ostly because the automakers based in those countries feel confident that they can beat their American and Asian rivals to the punch by offering autonomous cars first.
Earlier this year聽聽that can drive itself in slow-moving traffic and parking situations. Nissan, meanwhile, is聽聽that are fully autonomous.
