Google Car?s got competition. Nissan?s Autonomous Drive system took Japan?s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, on short test drive in an outfitted Leaf, and only two weeks later, hit the open road in its first drive on a public highway.

With Yuji Kuroiwa, the Governor of Kanagawa prefecture?where , southwest of Yokohama. Starting at 25 mph, the autonomous car revved up to a steady 50 mph without incident. Nissan?s Autonomous Drive program will be fully tested and developed?behind the hands-off wheel, the modified Leaf ran through its paces on the Sagami Expressway

This highway adventure, while successful, is only the beginning of a series of milestones the Automated Driving technology will undergo over the next two generations of vehicles. Nissan aims to have the first commercially-available Autonomous Drive vehicle by 2020.

The timelines is fast-paced, but hopefully proves successful. As Kuroiwa said of the highway drive, ?This technology is still in its infant stage? The more it learns from driving time, the more intelligent the system becomes, as well as safer. I was amazed by the capabilities of this car.?

See the amazing autonomous drive for yourself: