Renault-Nissan confident it will offer 10+ autonomous cars by 2020

Renault and Nissan have jointly pledged to introduce more than 10 autonomous vehicles to market before the end of the decade.

Issuing a statement late last night, the Renault-Nissan alliance said the models will go on sale in the US, Japan, China and Europe over the next four years.

Neither car-maker revealed which model will come first, although the Nissan LEAF and last year’s Nissan IDS concept (pictured) have already been reported as prime candidates to receive the self-driving technology.

As well as autonomous cars, Renault-Nissan also said it would soon launch its next-generation in-car connectivity that will make it easier for people to stay connected to work, entertainment and social media.

Helping fast forward its autonomous driving program, Renault-Nissan has already opened a research and development facility in Silicon Valley.

Both car-makers claim they are deeply committed on working towards vehicles that have zero emissions and zero fatalities.

Instead of launching a fully autonomous car, Renault-Nissan has confirmed it will roll the technology out gradually.

First it will offer a semi-autonomous system that allows a car to travel autonomously on a single lane of the highway then, later on in 2018, it will offer a multi-lane control system that will automatically change lanes and avoid hazards.

Two years after that, the alliance’s full autonomous technology will be rolled out to allow Renault and Nissan to navigate junctions and urban areas on autopilot.