Nissan Launches Traffic Info-Based Car Navigation System in Beijing

Beijing, July 22, 2008; Japan's Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday it has commercialized in Beijing a car navigation system that uses real-time traffic information, the first such system in China.

The car navigation system, codeveloped with the Beijing Transportation Information Center, shows drivers the quickest routes to destinations that avoid congested roads, based on the center's traffic probe data collected from 13,000 taxis in the city.

This is the first commercial application of their Star Wings project aimed at easing traffic congestion and reduce air pollution in Beijing.

Ahead of the Beijing Olympics, Nissan included the new system as standard equipment in the high-end model of its Teana sedan launched in June.

To promote the system, Nissan and the Chinese partner will mount its portable models on 200 taxis in Beijing and Olympic staff vehicles and monitor the usage of traffic information for two months.

Nissan Executive Officer Shunichi Toyomasu told a news conference here that the company estimates that when 30 pct of the vehicles in Beijing are equipped with the navigation system, the average commute time would be reduced by up to 16 pct and carbon dioxide emissions would be cut by up to 27 pct.

Source: JCN