Nissan will sell semi-autonomous cars by the end of 2016

Back in September 2013, Nissan received the Japanese government’s first license for an autonomous vehicle, giving a green light for the automaker to test its self-driving capabilities on public roads. A month prior, the automaker had pledged to bring an “affordable, energy-efficient, fully autonomous” vehicle to market by 2020. Nissan appears to be on track to fulfill that promise – maybe even earlier than expected.

While not quite fully autonomous at this stage, the company began testing a self-driving prototype of its electric Leaf (pictured above) on busy highways and crowded city streets in the greater Tokyo area last week. It’s equipped with a number of technologies that allow it to drive on its own, but the company highlighted two in particular: a miniature laser scanner and a 360-degree camera.

The laser scanner is used to determine the distance between the vehicle and its surroundings in 3D, allowing it to navigate both heavy traffic and narrow alleys, while the 360-degree camera assists the car at intersections and on sharp corners.

Nissan plans to sell vehicles equipped with “Piloted Drive” autonomous driving technology in three stages. Stage one will be available to consumers in Japan by the end of next year, and will allow autonomous driving under heavy highway traffic conditions. By 2018, stage two will enable lane changing on highways. Stage three, expected by 2020, will add the ability to navigate urban roads and intersections.

Despite being a pioneer in its home market, Nissan is already playing catch up with an American rival. Last month, California-based electric car manufacturer Tesla rolled out an update that already gives some of its vehicles the ability to autonomously drive and change lanes on highways. There’s one key difference, however. Tesla’s luxurious Model S begins at US$75,000, and its upcoming “budget” Model E – which won’t be sold until 2017 – will cost US$35,000. Nissan’s Leaf starts at just US$21,510.

If the Japanese automaker can maintain a sub-US$30,000 price tag with self-driving technology included, it could position itself as the first truly affordable option for green, autonomous automobiles.

Oh, and if you think Nissan isn’t playing the long game with this whole self-driving car thing, just check out its recently debuted IDS concept:

#TogetherWeRide: The #Nissan IDS Concept, an Autonomous Drive vehicle. #TokyoMotorShow https://t.co/RCzZpSSDOX pic.twitter.com/aC4MIbkNaz

— Nissan (@Nissan) October 28, 2015

Do you think self-driving cars will be the norm by 2020? Would you feel safe driving in one, or having them on the road in the first place? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.