Nissan To Start Automated Car Testing In Europe

Nissan will begin testing cars with self-driving abilities in London beginning next month, Reuters reports.

The manufacturer will use a version of its LEAF electric car with autonomous technology on public roads in London. As PC Mag notes, the company had previously tested a self-driving prototype of the LEAF on public roads in Japan back in 2015, but the announcement marks Nissan's first tests in the European market. Alongside the testing expansion, Nissan also plans to expand its factory in England.

The automotive market continues to be a popular area of investment for a variety of tech companies. At CES 2017, companies like Ford and Faraday Future showcased cars with integrated autonomous technology. Microsoft and NVIDIA are also among the companies bringing their hardware and design prowess to help improve software options for car dashboard technology.

Within this climate, self-driving technology has seen a significant upswing in investment interest during the past few years. Autonomy technology exists on a spectrum, ranging from partially self-driving cars that still require an active driver to — potentially within the near future — fully autonomous vehicles. Currently, the testing environment to bring cars towards this hardware ideal remains competitive and periodically hazardous.