Japan Allows Partially Automated Nissan LEAF On Public Roads

Autonomous cars are soon going to be the future of personal transport but since the technology is still in the nascent stage these innovative cars have to go through years of red tape before they can be rolled out on public roads. While some countries are still wrapping their heads around the idea of these cars, Japan has taken a step forward and granted the first license plate to a partially automated Nissan LEAF. Even though it’s just a regular licence plate, Nissan has considered it very important as it is for the first time an automated electric car has got the permission to ply on public roads. Nissan President CEO Carlos Ghosn took the delivery of the licence plate which ends in the digits 2020, which is the year by which he hopes the company will be ready with multiple commercially viable Autonomous Drive vehicles.
The reason for which we have used the phrase “partially automated” is because the car will not able to go to a pre-programmed location but can do specific tasks of automated vehicles. The Nissan LEAF with advanced driver assist systems will help the driver to stick to his/her lane and automatically stop the car at red lights. The car has the capability of automatically overtaking slow or stationary cars. Whenever the car notices congested roads it will gradually reduce the speed. The car will also be able to identify exits on the motorway and change lanes on its own. Nissan says the Autonomous Drive system is an extension of the Nissan Safety Shield which will help them to achieve the goal of zero fatalities and work on this system will be facilitated at a dedicated Autonomous Drive proving ground at Nissan's facility in Oppama, Japan.

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