The Renault-Nissan Alliance will launch more than 10 vehicles with autonomous drive technology in the next four years. The group confirmed yesterday that it will launch vehicles with self-driving capabilities in the USA, Europe, Japan and China through 2020. The tech will be installed on mainstream, mass-market cars at affordable prices.
In addition, Renault-Nissan will launch a suite of new connectivity applications that will make it easier for people to stay connected to work, entertainment and social networks.
“Renault-Nissan Alliance is deeply committed to the twin goals of ‘zero emissions and zero fatalities’. That’s why we are developing autonomous driving and connectivity for mass-market, mainstream vehicles on three continents,” said Renault-Nissan Alliance chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Renault-Nissan is already the industry’s zero-emission leader. The Alliance has sold nearly 300,000 all-electric vehicles since the first Nissan Leaf was sold in San Francisco in December 2010. Autonomous drive is expected to help further reduce driver error, which is responsible for up to 90% of all fatalities.
This year will mark the debut of vehicles with “single-lane control,” a feature that allows cars to drive autonomously on highways, including in stop-and-go traffic. In 2018, Renault-Nissan will launch vehicles with “multiple-lane control,” which can autonomously negotiate hazards and change lanes during highway driving.
The last step is “intersection autonomy,” which can navigate city intersections and heavy urban traffic without driver intervention. This will come in 2020. All the tech will be available at the option of the driver. The Nissan IDS Concept from Tokyo 2015 is a good preview of what to expect. An autonomous Nissan Leaf is already on test on Japan’s roads.
Later this year, the Franco-Japanese group will launch a new
automotive app for mobile devices, which allows remote interaction with
your car. Next year, it will launch the first “Alliance Multimedia
System,” providing new multimedia and navigation features, as well as
improved smartphone integration and wireless map updates. In 2018, the
Alliance Connectivity & Internet of Things platform will support the
new Virtual Personal Assistant feature for individual and business
customers.The Alliance also announced the hiring of Ogi Redzic to lead the its connected car initiative. Redzic joins after positions at Nokia, Navteq, Motorola, and wireless communication startup cyberPIXIE. He most recently served as senior VP of automotive at Nokia Here, where he led the automotive business group. Here, Nokia’s digital mapping and location business, was recently acquired by Audi, BMW and Daimler.
