Nissan plans to begin selling self-driving cars by 2020

The Japanese automaker said it plans to offer "multiple, commercially viable" vehicles that are capable of autonomous operation without driver input.

The self-driving vehicles will be sold "at realistic prices for consumers," the company said at a media event in Irvine, California.

Nissan said its goal is to offer autonomous cars "across the model range within two vehicle generations" - about 10-12 years after the projected 2020 launch.

The company said it has been researching and developing autonomous vehicles "for years" with such top universities as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Oxford, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Tokyo. It is building a dedicated test track in Japan for autonomous vehicles that will be completed by next spring.

Google Inc, the Internet search leader, launched an autonomous car program in 2010 and has built and is testing several different versions, including one based on Toyota Motor Corp's Prius.

© Thomson Reuters 2013