Nissan is committed to bringing its first round of autonomous vehicle technologies to market in 2020, and now it's got an official license to begin testing those systems in its home market of Japan.
The Japanese government issued its first license plate for a vehicle equipped with advanced driver assist systems to the automaker, complete with "20-20" numerals to commemorate Nissan's goal of offering these features by the end of the decade.
The specially equipped all-electric Leaf features six functions that make it eligible for the new license classification. Some features, like automatic lane centering and adaptive cruise control, are already available on the automaker's higher-end products, including throughout the Infiniti luxury line. But automatic exiting for freeways, automatic lane changes, the ability to overtake a slow or stopped vehicle and stop at red lights without driver involvement are all new systems the automaker will begin testing on Japan's roads.
"This is an ordinary license plate for an extraordinary vehicle," Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn said in the announcement. "Road testing of the underlying technologies is critical to maintaining our leadership position and we are grateful to the Government of Japan for its support."
