Renault-Nissan to launch self-driving cars over next four years

The alliance between automobile manufacturers Renault and Nissan announced Thursday it would launch more than 10 vehicles with self-driving technology at affordable prices in the United States, Europe, Japan and China in the next four years.

In addition, the alliance said it would also launch new connectivity applications that will make it easier for people to stay connected to work, entertainment and social networks.

According to the schedule of the group, 2016 will mark the debut of vehicles with "single-lane control," a feature that allows cars to drive autonomously on highways, including in heavy, stop-and-go traffic.

In 2018, Renault-Nissan will launch vehicles with "multiple-lane control," which can autonomously negotiate hazards and change lanes during highway driving. And 2020 will see the launch of "intersection autonomy," which allow cars to navigate city intersections and heavy urban traffic without driver intervention.

"Renault-Nissan Alliance is deeply committed to the twin goals of 'zero emissions and zero fatalities','" Renault-Nissan Alliance Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn said, adding that autonomous driving is expected to help further reduce driver error, which is responsible for up to 90 percent of all fatalities.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is a strategic partnership between Paris-based Renault and Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan, which together sell one in 10 cars worldwide. The companies, which have been strategic partners since 1999, sold 8.5 million vehicles in nearly 200 countries and regions in 2014. Enditem