Nissan counts on Bosch, Continental

Robert Bosch and Continental AG will move into high volume production this year to supply Nissan Motor Co. with advanced automated braking systems across most of its U.S. product line.

Nissan said this summer it is making the technology standard on most of its U.S. vehicles for the 2018 model year.

The decision will mean equipping more than 1 million Nissan brand vehicles with the technology, or about two-thirds of Nissan's expected annual volume.

That is a dramatic move forward for Nissan in automated braking, which it previously marketed as Forward Emergency Braking.

Before the decision, the feature was available only as an option on higher-grade trim packages. Nissan estimates that about 450,000 of its 2017 model vehicles had the systems.

The Bosch and Continental systems use radar to monitor a vehicle's proximity to the vehicle ahead. If the system reads that the conditions are likely for a frontal collision, it emits audible and visual warnings to alert the driver to reduce speed. If the driver does not respond, the emergency system can apply the brakes automatically.

The technology is not new, but the industry is watching to see how fast it will roll out across the market.

Automated braking is one part of an array of automated safety systems that Nissan and most other automakers are gathering to prepare for autonomous vehicles. Many in the industry expect widespread consumer availability of autonomous technology in the early 2020s.

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reached a voluntary agreement with 20 automakers to standardize automatic braking by 2022.

The move makes Nissan compliant with the rule on most of its products four years ahead of schedule, and opens the technology to consumers in less expensive vehicle segments. Until now, the higher priced trim levels with the relevant tech package options cost between $7,000 and $10,000 more than the base models without the technology.

Michael Bunce, Nissan North America's vice president of product planning, said the move will accelerate consumer acceptance of the active safety technology, which detects stopped traffic or other obstacles and halts a vehicle without driver involvement.

"We've begun to see in our market research that this system is resonating with consumers," Bunce said. "Once they have it and experience it activating just one time, they can't live without it."

Bunce said Nissan plans to make the technology standard on all of its lineup.

The decision will make the system standard on the 2018 Altima, Maxima, Murano, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport and Sentra, except for models with manual transmissions or Nismo trim packages.