It comes as no surprise that the Nissan LEAF is a hard-working car—after all, its efficient electric system is capable of a 107-mile range and gets comparable horsepower and torque ratings. However, its job position as an autonomous tow car at the Nissan plant near Yokohama, Japan is quite astonishing.
The LEAF models at this plant are a little more tech-savvy than the ones on the U.S. market, offering highly advanced autonomous systems that allow the eco-friendly hatchbacks to drive themselves around. However, like the U.S., unmanned autonomous cars are not allowed on public roadways in Japan, so the Nissan engineers came up with a great way to test out the technology,
As part of Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility program, several LEAF models were converted from commuter cars to mini-shuttle busses. This segment of the program is called Intelligent Vehicle Towing (IVT), which further develops autonomous driving while experimenting with how this futuristic technology can cut costs, increase efficiency and, most importantly, improve daily life.
"Our Intelligent Mobility vision is a framework to move customers around the world towards a safer and more sustainable future," said Carlos Ghosn, CEO, earlier this year.
The IVT LEAFs’ work day consists of hauling new models from the factory to the dock for shipment. Equipped with up to three flatbed trailers, the LEAF tows between 7 to 8 tons on each trip. The compact EV must undergo several charging sessions a day just to keep up with high battery consumption from the transport demands.
How do these LEAFs accomplish such an impressive feat? The cars are programmed with a navigation system with a set route and utilize various cameras and sensors to "see" the road ahead similar to how a human driver would. They keep in a lane, follow traffic laws and even stop for pedestrians and other vehicles. At all times, these cars are overseen by a central traffic control that checks for any errors or mishaps, and can remotely stop a vehicle in case of emergency.
According to Nissan executive Haruhiko Yoshimura, more of these driverless LEAFs will be sent to assist Nissan plants throughout the country. It’s also speculated that this technological development will spread throughout global Nissan plants.