Automotive technology is evolving at a blindingly rapid pace, and right now, we’re witnessing something of an arms race to see who will be the first to wrest the steering wheel and pedals away from the “drivers” of tomorrow. One way we know: Several of our latest test drives have in fact been ride-alongs in vehicles that were basically driving themselves. Our most recent example was a drive, er, ride, we took through the busy streets of Tokyo in a Nissan Ariya prototype using a version of the Japanese automaker’s next-generation ProPilot advanced driver assistance system. The Ariya development prototype we rode in had a lidar system installed on the roof, along with 11 cameras, five radar systems, multiple sensors, and sophisticated software. It’s deemed a Level 2++ system for its consumer vehicles, which means it can accelerate, brake, and steer on its own, but it still requires a person behind the wheel who must watch the road and be prepared to hit a pedal and grab the wheel. Above Level 2 is only allowed for testing currently in Japan and there must be a safety driver on board. But according to Nissan engineers, this particular car’s hardware and software make it Level 4 capable, which is the level at which its planned fleet of robotaxis will need to function. The ProPilot Level 2++ technology is advanced enough that it can conduct a point-to-point trip with no input beyond setting the destination in the navigation system. The car takes it from there. Personal Vehicles and Robotaxis Getting the Tech Nissan is developing its autonomous tech in parallel for its consumer vehicles as well as the robotaxis it plans to launch. In some markets Nissan will supply vehicles to robotaxi operators, in others, it can provide end-to-end service, according to Richard