Nissan to commercialize SAE Level 4 autonomous-drive mobility services in Japan by fiscal year 2027
28 February 2024
Nissan Motor announced its roadmap to commercialize its inhouse-developed, autonomous-drive mobility services (SAE Level 4 equivalent) in Japan. Nissan has been testing business models for mobility services in Japan and abroad since 2017.
These vicinities include the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama and Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, where a manned mobility service called Namie Smart Mobility has been in operation since 2021. Outside Japan, Nissan has been testing autonomous-drive mobility in London and other areas with the support of the UK government.
Equipped with this knowledge, Nissan plans to begin offering autonomous-drive mobility services starting in fiscal year 2027 (1 April to 31 March), working with third parties such as local authorities and transport operators. Nissan will begin trials in the Minato Mirai area in fiscal 2024, and eventually scale up the trials the following fiscal year.
During the trials, the level of autonomous driving will be gradually enhanced while assessing customer acceptance, with the aim to provide driverless services.
The following is a broad timeline:
| Fiscal year 2024 | Driving tests in the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama using an autonomous driving vehicle based on the Serena minivan. |
| Fiscal years 2025 to 2026 | Service demonstration tests in the Yokohama area, including Minato Mirai, Sakuragi-cho and Kannai, with a total of 20 vehicles (with a driver on board). |
| Fiscal year 2027 | Aiming to start providing services in three to four municipalities, including rural areas, with tens of vehicles. Discussions are underway with a number of municipalities. |
This initiative will be promoted in close cooperation with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; and other central ministries. The ministries will also promote initiatives to realize new autonomous mobility services at the Level 4 Mobility Acceleration Committee that they organize.
This is responsible development, unlike others.
Driver onboard and limited roll out whilst relying on 'Level 2' which means that the driver is expected to grab the wheel when the 'autonomous' system screws up and goes into 'kill them all mode', which has repeatedly and conclusively been shown to be humanly impossible, with the less often the system screws up the more difficult it is to concentrate on what is happening, as humans are just not built that way.
Level 4 means that if the autopilot can't cope, it is entirely responsible for bringing the vehicle to a safe halt, as out of the way as possible, when the driver onboard if there is one can choose to take up driving, sans autopilot.
At no stage are you expected to instantly grab the wheel and take over.
Posted by: Davemart | 28 February 2024 at 02:39 AM