2005 Nissan Quest Sl Mini Passenger Van 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Watch Nissan's autonomous Leaf in action

Getting its semi-autonomous Leaf legalized in Japan was just the first step. Now, Nissan is giving demonstrations of what its fully autonomous car is capable of at this year's Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (CEATEC) show - Japan's equivalent to America's Consumer Electronics Show. To show off the possibilities of its technologies, Nissan had an oval track set up at the show giving rides in an autonomous Leaf to the media. Even Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn and Toyota CEO Akio Toyodo caught a ride.
Nissan has since released a couple videos of its CEATEC demos, with one designed to look like a news report. In this video, you can watch the car go around the track and navigate intersections and road hazards. The second video shows Ghosn riding in the car, and he hints that Nissan's goal of having an autonomous vehicle in production by 2020 might be more of a worst-case scenario. Watch both videos and read through Nissan's official press release below.

Check out Nissan's clever digital Smart Rearview Mirror

Using cameras in place of a car's rearview mirrors has long been a feature of pie-in-the-sky concept cars, although so far, it's failed to translate into the world of production vehicles. Nissan is looking to change that, though, with its new Smart Rearview Mirror.
With a flick of a switch, drivers can jump back and forth between what they'd normally see through the rearview mirror and the camera's feed from the back of the car.
The Smart Rearview Mirror blends everything we know about traditional reflective glass mirrors with a video feed from the rear of the car into a form factor that's immediately recognizable to the average motorist. With a flick of a switch, drivers can jump back and forth between what they'd normally see through the rearview mirror and the camera's feed from the back of the car. The mirror itself features an integrated LCD display with a four-to-one aspect ratio.

2013 Nissan Leaf [w/video]

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It
Look at the 2013 Nissan Leaf - even one parked next to a 2012 model - and you'll be hard-pressed to spot the differences. Changes and updates have been made, but you have to know the details to tell. It's sort of like listening to a hipster tell you why Interpol and The National have completely different sounds.
Nissan says it didn't reinvent the Leaf because what the company has created is working. Over 25,000 Leafs have been sold in the US - 62,000 around the world - since the car went on sale in late 2010. That may not sound like a lot, but it's heads and shoulders above any other all-electric car available anywhere. The car has its detractors - boy, does it ever - but Nissan knows it's hard to argue with real-world success.