The trusted voice of the industry
for more than 30 years

LEAF AV trialled in London

Posted on 28 February, 2017

A modified Nissan LEAF AV took to the streets of London in the company’s first public self-driving vehicle test in Europe. The AV travelled at speeds of up to 80km/h and negotiated roundabouts, multi-lane motorways and local streets with varying levels of traffic. The autonomous system is activated inside the car with a single button. The Nissan LEAF is fitted with over 20 cameras, radars and lasers to guide the car on the road. Nissan chose London for the test thanks to Britain’s recent flexibility in regulating AVs on the road. Britain announced changes in insurance law, which means a single policy can cover motorists driving conventionally and autonomously. "It's not everywhere in Europe that we can go and drive on the road," Nissan’s director of research in the US, Maarten Sierhuis, told Reuters. The trial took place near the ExCel exhibition centre and London City Airport east of the central business district. “You don't want to go to the most difficult parts of London when you start. The system has to be tested," Sierhuis said. A previous driverless trial took place last year in Milton Keynes, but at a much lower speed. There’s no word yet on when the LEAF AV will be available to the public.