From the Silver Screen to the Highway: We Try Out Nissan’s New ProPilot

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Interstellar transport, force fields, and carbonite freezing are just a few of the wild and futuristic technologies that drive the story line in the Star Wars works of fiction. Here on planet Earth, when Nissan isn’t working up tie-ins to that fictional universe, it’s busy working on solutions to real-world transportation problems.

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The company’s Leaf electric car, all new for 2018, features two such pieces of tech. Neither is new to the industry, but both are new to Nissan. The e-Pedal feature is simply Nissan’s name for substantially increasing the amount of regenerative braking that happens when the driver lifts off the throttle, while ProPilot Assist is a radar- and camera-based driving aid that is available on the 2018 Nissan Rogue SUV.

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Like the Leaf’s main rivals, the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Hyundai Ioniq EV, this braking using the electric motor allows energy to be recaptured into the battery when the vehicle is coasting or slowing to a stop. The new e-Pedal feature allows Leaf drivers the luxury of avoiding the brake pedal as lifting off the throttle pedal alone results in strong deceleration. Nissan estimates this feature—when activated by a console-mounted switch—should allow for one-pedal driving for 90 percent of an average trip. The feature also will hold the vehicle at a stop even on a steep grade.

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In practice, the system works quite well, and it doesn’t require the use of steering-wheel paddles or the selection of a specific mode as do rivals from Chevrolet and Hyundai. On a recent drive around downtown Los Angeles, we noted smooth transitions between acceleration and deceleration despite the system’s aggressive energy-regeneration mission. Driving with just one pedal does take some acclimation, but the learning curve seems low. For those who are interested in driving range—and we’d wager that includes almost all Leaf buyers—the e-Pedal is a welcome component, making Nissan’s decision to turn the feature on manually at each ignition cycle seem questionable.

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Nissan’s new ProPilot Assist system is another feature that works impressively well. We were offered a chance to try this out during the same drive in and around Hollywood in both a new Leaf and a Rogue SUV. Using a centrally mounted radar module and a single camera behind the windshield, the system elevates the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control feature to new heights, allowing for automatic lane centering and accelerating and braking in response to the vehicle ahead.

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Nissan likens its ProPilot Assist system to that of Star Wars characters R2-D2 and BB-8, droids who assist pilots such as Luke Skywalker and Poe Dameron. And indeed, the system does facilitate safer driving while reducing driver fatigue. On both the Leaf and the Rogue, the sole camera finds lane markers and communicates with the active steering to center the vehicle in the lane—something other rivals such as the Tesla Model S require more sensors to accomplish. When activated, the steering wheel has added heft to provide feedback to the driver that it’s in control, but the technology is easily overcome in the event the driver needs to make an emergency maneuver. Nissan’s goal is to minimize said events, however, and the radar—housed behind the large Nissan logo on the front of the vehicle—senses objects and other vehicles traveling ahead and can maintain a set following distance and apply brakes in the event of an emergency.

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It turns out that Los Angeles traffic is an ideal place to sample ProPilot Assist. The regular stop-and-go highway traffic there provided many opportunities to allow the system to showcase its competence. Unlike the Leaf’s e-Pedal, ProPilot Assist requires more getting used to; the first few times it’s left to steer, accelerate, and brake in heavy traffic are downright cringe-worthy. Once you’ve learned to trust the system and are more comfortable, its potential for reducing accidents and alleviating stress-induced road-rage incidents comes into focus.

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The system isn’t a full-on autonomous driving system, though, as the driver is required to remain focused with his or her hands on the steering wheel. If the driver’s hands are off the wheel for too long, ProPilot will sound a loud alarm, activate the hazard flashers, and slow itself to a stop. Nissan has really gone all in on the “pilot” theme by mimicking an airplane’s Ground Proximity Warning System with the beep strategy (see video below)—in the event the driver does not respond to more subtle warnings that it’s time for the human to take control.

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First Drive Review: 2018 Nissan Leaf

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The e-Pedal is offered as standard across the entirety of the 2018 Leaf lineup, which starts at $ 30,875 before federal and local tax incentives. ProPilot Assist is offered as an option as part of the Technology package ($ 2200 on SV and $ 650 on SL trims). ProPilot Assist comes only on the Rogue SL when equipped with both the $ 1820 SL Premium package and the $ 790 SL Platinum package.

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