Nissan ProPilot Assist to Make Highway Driving Easier in the U.S.
Automaker announces rollout of new driver assistant features
Moving one step closer to autonomous driving, Nissan's ProPilot Assist reduces the stress of highway trips by controlling acceleration, braking, and steering within a single lane. The system has undergone more than 50,000 miles of testing on roads across the U.S., and it's set to debut on the next-generation Nissan Leaf that launches this September.
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Ahead of the launch, Nissan is giving us a clearer indication of how the feature works. To activate ProPilot, the driver pushes a blue button on the right side of the steering wheel. Next, the driver must activate the Intelligent Cruise Control feature once the desired speed is reached. When icons on the instrument panel turn green, steering assist is engaged. The steering feature may deactivate if the system can't detect lane markings, or in cases of inclement weather where the windshield wipers are in the low or high position.
The ProPilot system allows drivers to come to a complete stop for up to three seconds. If the stop lasts longer, drivers must press the resume button or tap the accelerator to move again. When the accelerator is pressed, the system goes into temporary standby mode, and during braking, both the cruise control and lane keep assist are deactivated.
Nissan emphasizes it's important for drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times. If the system doesn't detect hands on the steering wheel, a warning will activate.
"It is a 'hands-on' driver assist system rather than a 'self-driving' feature," Nissan clarifies.
Tuned specifically for U.S. roads, ProPilot uses forward-facing camera, forward-facing radar, sensors, and an electronic control module to help drivers navigate both light and heavy traffic situations. The feature launches later this year. Right now, it can only handle single-lane highway driving, but within two years, the system will be able to change lanes. Within four years, it will be able to handle steering, braking, and acceleration in the city. Looking forward, Nissan-Renault will expand the ProPilot feature with 10 new models to be launched by 2020 in Europe, Japan, China, and the U.S.
Nissan also announced an assisted parking feature destined for the new Leaf. That feature won't be available in the U.S. for the 2018 model year, but it should arrive in the future.
Source: Nissan
When I tell people I write about cars, the most common reply I receive is “Really?” I guess I never strike people as a car type as I drive down the freeway in the right lane going 60 mph in my old SUV. My gripes about driving in city traffic and fast drivers don’t help my case, either. For a time, the only cars I liked were old cars. Not old as in "classic" or "vintage," but as in well-worn. My first appreciation of cars came when I drove a very old Ford pickup. It wasn't perfect: I used a booster seat to reach the gas pedal, and the turn signal once fell off in my hand as I was learning to drive. But the thing I valued most was the memories. It took several years for me to truly become a "car person." Being a long-time writer and an avid reader has helped me develop a healthy curiosity and a desire to know how things work. This has made cars one of the most fascinating points of study for me because they are such intricate machines. I am interested in how cars can reach 200 mph, how they can run on hydrogen, and how they can drive and park on their own. I also enjoy learning how cars can solve problems whether it be in the form of reducing pollution, minimizing traffic, or helping people stay connected on the road. Yes, maybe I’m not a gearhead. Perhaps I’m a car nerd. Either way, I very much enjoy writing about cars and helping people stay in tune with the automotive industry. I wouldn't want to be writing about anything else. And don’t get me wrong: I know how to drool over a hot car. I am fascinated by the Tesla Model S, awed by the Lamborghini Veneno, and am hopelessly obsessed with the Audi R8.
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