Nissan Advances Self-Driving Technology for Urban Environments

Japanese automaker Nissan is developing self-driving technology

TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink.

Japanese automaker Nissan is developing self-driving technology

TOKYO -- Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink.

Japanese automaker Nissan is developing self-driving technology

TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Japanese Automaker Nissan Is Developing Self-Driving Technology

In this image made from video provided by Nissan Motor Co., Japanese automaker Nissan's test vehicle featuring an automated driving system packed with artificial intelligence moves on a road in Tokyo on September, 2025. (Nissan Motor Co. via AP) TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Nissan revamps ProPilot to rival Tesla's driver-assist technology

Nissan Motor is on a mission under new CEO Ivan Espinosa to rebuild its business, and while refreshing its lineup is a key part of that, so is winning back customers who demand cutting-edge technology. Leveraging its partnership with Wayve Technologies, a U.K.-based artificial intelligence startup backed by SoftBank Group, Nissan is preparing to launch the newest generation of its ProPilot driver-assistance system during the fiscal year ending March 2028. The automaker says the most advanced iteration of its driver-assist technology will be on par with Tesla's Full Self-Driving, which despite its name requires human supervision and intervention. While the systems still amount to Level 2 autonomy -- meaning a person must always be ready to take over -- ProPilot amounts to Nissan's best foot forward in contending with the U.S. EV giant and Alphabet's Waymo in the race to build self-driving cars.