Japan's carmakers proceed with caution on self-driving cars

Tokyo

THE technology in use is virtually identical: cameras, radar, and GPS working together to turn cars into self-driving machines. What separates Japan's carmakers and companies like Google Inc and Tesla Motors Inc is when they predict fully autonomous vehicles will be ready.

At this week's Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan Motor Co is displaying a concept car with retractable steering wheel and message-flashing windshield, joining Honda Motor Co and Toyota Motor Corp in exhibiting vehicles with autonomous modes for changing lanes and avoiding collisions on highways. But while Tesla deployed its Autopilot system this month and Google aims to have fully self-driving cars on the road by 2020, Japan's carmakers see a wait for such vehicles, with introductions coming only after 2025.