Nissan Invests $40 Million for Safety Testing
Nissan has announced that it will expand its Nissan Technical Center North America facility in Michigan to include a new safety lab. This investment is worth $40 million for the engineering center, which will develop the Safety Advancement Lab. This is another step towards Nissan’s goal of nearly zero deaths on the road in Nissan models.
With a total of 116,000 square feet of space being added, the Safety Advancement Lab will allow engineers to simulate 48 different situations with passive safety crashes to test the effectiveness. This facility will be state-of-the-art with a high-speed photography system that can capture simulations crashes as they occur.
An individual lab will be built for calibrating dummies used in the crashes and one for the safety of pedestrians. Space will be allotted for a vehicle tow system and to prepare the different models for testing.
Leading the Way to Electric
Ever since the introduction of the Nissan LEAF in 2010, Nissan has stood out as a leader in electric technology because of its early acknowledgment of the benefits of electric vehicles. Today, the manufacturer has a goal to expand its US sales to 40 percent for electric models by 2030. The Safety Advancement Lab will help the company work to reach the goal by testing high-voltage EV batteries.
Nissan models are equipped with the latest in driver assistance and accident prevention technology. However, the focus for this lab will be on passive safety, or how well Nissan vehicles protect when an accident happens. Some of the components to be included are seatbelts, airbags, and even the structure of the vehicles.
Nissan’s Technical Center
Numerous models are developed at Nissan Technical Center North America for Nissan and INFINITI. Some of these models include the Frontier, Titan, Pathfinder, Rogue, Murano, LEAF, Altima, Sentra, and more. The center also tests some special systems, such as Nissan ProPILOT Assist and LEAF e-Pedal.
The center has more than 1200 employees and is the main location for Research & Development for Nissan in the Americas. With the additional $40 million for the Safety Advancement Lab, the total investment for this facility is over $310 million since it first opened in 1991.
Nissan’s Role in Safety
Nissan is recognized as a leader in safety by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. For instance, the 2021 Nissan Altima was given the 2020 Top Safety Pick+, and the 2021 Nissan Sentra received the 2020 Top Safety Pick designation. These models received these awards for the headlight technology used.
Nissan has also developed the Safety Shield 360, which is a suite that includes six safety systems. They include:
- Blindspot warning
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Rear automatic braking
- High beam assist
- Lane departure warning
- Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
Learn more about how these systems work and all about the latest award-winning models when you visit Premier Nissan of San Jose. Stop in today for a test drive and choose a vehicle that is always first-rate for the safety and protection of you and your passengers.
