Nissan debuts new Serena minivan with self-driving technology
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YOKOHAMA – Nissan Motor Co. on Wednesday unveiled its new Serena model minivan featuring self-driving technology.
The van, which goes on sale next month, includes some autonomous capabilities that allow it to control steering, gas and brakes on single-lane highways under both crowded and uncrowded traffic situations, Nissan said.
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The technology is called Propilot, which monitors road conditions using a camera. That information is analyzed by a computer, which then controls the vehicle.
When traffic is not backed up, the system maintains a speed set by the driver. When the road is crowded, it automatically maintains a safe distance from the car ahead, according to Nissan.
Nissan is the first among Japanese automakers to release a vehicle equipped with autonomous driving technology that deals with highway traffic jams, the company said.
It is designed only for single-lane highway driving, meaning it does not perform lane changes.
Hideyuki Sakamoto, a Nissan executive vice president, stressed that the Propilot system will provide a “safe and comfortable” driving experience for users.
“We believe that its quality is quite high in terms of” how naturally and comfortably it can drive, said Sakamaoto during a news conference at Nissan’s headquarters in Yokohama.
While showing confidence, Nissan also warned that drivers are still responsible for their safety.
This means drivers must, still keep their hands on the wheel at all times and pay attention to the road even when the Propilot system is activated, it said.
The Propilot system sounds an alert when the driver’s hands are off the wheel.
“This is a system for assisting driving rather than (one for) autonomous driving…but the technology that makes the system is a self-driving technology itself,” said Sakamoto.
“What I mean is that it cannot handle every situation,” but it can still contribute to preventing incidents caused by driver carelessness, he said.
The issue of safety for self-driving vehicles has been in the spotlight following the first reported death involving a Tesla Motors Inc.’ autopilot model in Florida recently.
In that accident, a Tesla Model S, which is equipped with an autonomous driving system for highway use, failed to detect an approaching truck that was making a turn against bright sunlight conditions.
Nissan said the Propilot system will alert users when its camera is unable to recognize road conditions.
The carmaker said it has not yet set a price, but the new Serena with the Propilot system will sell for under ¥3 million.
Nissan is marketing its self-driving technology as a way to reduce the number of fatal car accidents, which are caused mostly by driver error.
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