Nissan shares vision of autonomous vehicles with lawmakers in the U.S.

You're about to depart on your daily commute, with a million things on your to-do list once you get to work. If only you could work in your car. While we aren't there yet, the accelerated pace at which automakers and tech companies are introducing vehicle prototypes and automated drive features has left some stakeholders behind. On one hand there's excitement. On the other hand there's concern. Nissan addressed both this month when it hosted a forum that explored the future of autonomous vehicles. The event, held in Washington, D.C., gave lawmakers, regulators and other U.S. government officials a close and reassuring look at how Nissan is in the driver's seat when it comes to automated drive technologies. Andy Christensen, senior manager, Nissan Technical Center North America in Michigan, explained how Nissan's perspective is different from other approaches that seem focused only on removing the driver from the driving experience. Nissan's philosophy is not to simply replace the driver in an automated vehicle. Instead, Nissan wants to enhance the driver's experience by introducing technologies that make cars more intelligent and more exciting partners. "Someday, when drivers want, the technology will be available to do the driving task for them," said Christensen. "But at Nissan, we see the driver remaining engaged and integral well into the future." It's really an evolution. Traditionally, how to drive the car "was always left up to the human driver."