Nissan begins autonomous electric Leaf trials ahead of 2027 launch date

Japanese automaker Nissan has begun demonstrations of a prototype Nissan Leaf equipped with autonomous driving technology, part of the company’s long-term efforts to deliver autonomous mobility services by 2027.

Nissan announced this week that it had begun demonstrations of a demonstration Nissan Lefa around the busy streets of Yokohama, close to the company’s global headquarters.

The prototype Nissan Leaf incorporates 14 cameras, 10 radars and 6 LIDAR sensors, all of which serve to significantly expand the detection area, enabling for a more accurate awareness of the vehicle’s surroundings.

According to Nissan, the expanded array of detection equipment improves recognition performance, behavioural prediction, judgment functions, and control functions, delivering smooth operation in what the company describes as “a variety of complex scenarios.”

Nissan explained that the prototype Leaf has been able to navigate the busy Yokohama streets, which includes predicting the behaviour of pedestrians, changing lanes when merging, and judging when it is safe to enter intersections.

Nissan currently aims to expand trials of its autonomous Leaf to the Minato Mirai area, a futuristic seaside urban area in central Yokohama, before beginning service demonstration tests within fiscal year 2025 (1 April to 31 March).

During these trials, the level of autonomous driving functionality will be gradually increased while simultaneously assessing customer acceptance of the technology.

Currently, the Nissan Leaf is operating at SAE Level 2 equivalent with a safety driver present. The company is hoping to expand this functionality throughout its trials before its planned efforts to offer autonomous-drive mobility services within Japan starting in the fiscal year 2027.