Nissan Self-Driving Cars: Automaker Says Self-Driving Vehicles Available By 2020

Self-driving cars may be on the horizon. Japanese automaker Nissan announced Tuesday that it plans to release autonomous cars by 2020. The company said that it is working with universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon and University of Tokyo in order to work out the finer details of the new technology. Nissan plans to have several self-driving models available within seven years. The technology will also be implemented in all its models within two vehicle generations. Vehicle generations typically last five or six years, meaning the technology could be available across the board within 10 to 12 years.

"In 2007 I pledged that -- by 2010 -- Nissan (NSANF) would mass market a zero-emission vehicle. Today, the Nissan LEAF is the best-selling electric vehicle in history," Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said in a statement. "Now I am committing to be ready to introduce a new ground-breaking technology, Autonomous Drive, by 2020, and we are on track to realize it."

GM and Audi are right on the automaker's tail, however, as it is also exploring the possibilities of autonomous vehicles. Tech company Google has also been looking into the technology for several years. Similar vehicles are already on the market as well, with the Mercedes Benz S-class boasting features that take partial control of the vehicle in certain situations, such as avoiding collision. Nissan's own Infinity Q50 also hosts partial-control features. In response to the growing probability of self-driving cars within the next few years, the National Highway Traffic Safety is already creating driving rules for such vehicles.