Nissan Leaf, a self-driving all-electric vehicle from the Japanese carmaker, finished its autonomous trip to Sunderland from Cranfield in England. The 230 miles trip allowed the vehicle to navigate narrow country roads and roundabouts with some having no traffic signs or lane markers. Nissan leaf just made a record as the longest single journey of an autonomous vehicle in the UK.
Nissan Leaf Setting A New Record
The modified version of the all-electric Nissan Leaf made a surprising journey and set a new record in the UK. According to Nissan, the only times that a human driver had to take over during the journey was during the time when the car has to recharge at four service stations. The journey was joined by two engineers who stayed inside the vehicle.
According to the Japanese carmaker, the advanced positioning technology of the Nissan Leaf enables it to appraise its surroundings and make calculated decisions on how to navigate obstacles and roads. The journey called Grand Drive allowed the all-electric vehicle to travel on different kinds of roads, on traffic, and on country lanes going to the M1 Motorway.
The Nissan Leaf was also guided by radar, a GPS, and light detection, as well as some ranging equipment. Additionally, its autonomous technology activated along the journey whenever the all-electric vehicle has to change lanes, stop, or start. It is also equipped with a computer system with a data set of previously encountered traffic scenarios and solutions. The Nissan Leaf also utilized data to be able to handle similar situations in the future.
The HumanDrive Initiative
Nissan Leaf's GrandDrive is part of the £13.5m HumanDrive project. The initiative was funded by the British government along with the consortium of nine partners, including Hitachi and Nissan. Its primary aim is to develop an autonomous vehicle control system that matches a human driving, natural style.
Minister For The Future of Transport George Freeman said that the UK is quickly becoming the leader in intelligent and automated vehicles and traffic management systems. It is a massive global sector that could help create thousands of jobs. Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi said that Nissan Leaf's achievement is an incredible feat for both the vehicle and the consortium. He added that it is a massive leap towards the release of driverless cars in the UK.
The minister calls the Humandrive Project a shining example of when the government and the automotive industry work together. He added that it could advance technology to provide people's mobility, cutting the level of carbon emissions.
