NISSAN ANNOUNCES FIRST ON-ROAD AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TESTS IN EUROPE

January 13, 2017 by Nissan

◾On-road demonstrations to begin next month in London

◾Nissan technology will enable passengers to experience autonomous driving on public roads

◾Nissan's autonomous drive technology coming soon in new Nissan Qashqai and new Nissan LEAF

◾UK Secretary of State Greg Clark visits Nissan's European R&D headquarters to discuss future technology rollout in UK auto industry

Cranfield, UK. January 13th, 2017:

Nissan will bring real-world demonstrations of autonomous driving cars to Britain next month.

Showcasing next-generation technology through the world's best-selling electric vehicle, the on-road demonstrations will take place in London, enabling the vehicles and their passengers to cover a diverse city environment.

Passengers, including government officials and technical and safety experts, will be given the opportunity to experience and test the technology in a live environment in a modified Nissan LEAF.

These will be the first demonstrations of Nissan's autonomous drive technology on public roads in Europe, representing the next step in Nissan's Intelligent Mobility blueprint for transforming how cars are driven, powered, and integrated into wider society.

It follows recent announcements that both the refreshed Qashqai and the new LEAF, both coming soon, will be equipped with autonomous drive technology to enable single lane autonomous driving on motorways.

The announcement was made following a visit to the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, by the Rt Hon Greg Clark, the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

NTCE, the European R&D hub for Nissan, is developing autonomous drive technologies as well as new advanced fuel, energy and efficiency technologies, in collaboration with the Nissan Technical Centre and Advanced Technical Centre in Japan.

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: 'Government and industry are working together to build on our world class reputation for excellence as a leading location for automotive R&D and manufacturing. We want to see centres, like Nissan's here in Cranfield, continue to develop, making us a world leader in the development and testing of auto technology so we can anchor the next generation of vehicle manufacturing and its supply chain here in the UK.'

During the visit Mr Clark saw how the Nissan Technical Centre is the company's European centre of excellence for the design and development of vehicles produced in the UK and across the continent.

Opened in 1991, NTCE is now home to around 1,200 employees. Current projects include the development of vehicle-to-grid technology integration, electric battery advancements and the new Nissan Qashqai, which is scheduled to launch in fiscal year '17. The original crossover - and Nissan's best-selling vehicle in Europe – versions of the new Qashqai will be available to customers with autonomous drive functionality for single-lane driving on the motorway.

Just last week Nissan announced that a new LEAF will be coming soon, also equipped with the same autonomous drive technology, and Mr Clark was given a preview of the technology with a demonstration around the grounds of the technical centre.

Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe, said: 'It was our pleasure to welcome the Secretary of State to the Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Cranfield and to show him how we don't just make great cars in the UK, we create future technology here too.

'Innovation and ingenuity is at the heart of the Nissan brand and its people. We've been developing that pioneering spirit for over half a century in Europe and for over 30 years in Britain. With future models secured and cutting-edge innovation being developed right here in the UK, we're looking forward to a strong future of designing, engineering and manufacturing in the country for customers right across the world.'

He added: 'In just a few weeks' time, there will be Nissan LEAFs driving on the streets of London using our autonomous driving technology. Nissan Intelligent Mobility is happening right now, right here in the UK and across Europe.'

Last year marked Nissan's 30th anniversary in the UK, with employment in Nissan's UK technical centre, design studio (Paddington, London), manufacturing plant (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear) and sales and marketing operations (Maple Cross, Hertfordshire) now totalling more than 8,000. A further 28,000 jobs in Nissan's UK supply chain and 4,000 in its UK dealer network takes the total British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 40,000.

ABOUT NISSAN IN THE UK

◾One in three cars built in the UK is a Nissan

◾Nissan Sunderland Plant currently employs 7,000 people, manufacturing the Nissan Qashqai, Juke, LEAF and the Infiniti Q30 and QX30

◾80% of production is exported to over 130 markets globally

◾Nissan's European Design Centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 65 people

◾Nissan's European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and employs around 1,000 people

◾Nissan's sales and marketing headquarters in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire employs around 190 people

ABOUT NISSAN IN EUROPE

Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,000 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 635,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle. Pursuing a goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan recently announced its Intelligent Mobility vision. Designed to guide Nissan's product and technology pipeline, this 360 degree approach to the future of mobility will anchor critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society. Nissan is positioned to become the most desirable Asian brand in Europe.

Photo credit: Nissan
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