You'll be riding in a self-driving car by 2020, says Nissan

The idea of self-driving cars is all well and good, but when exactly are we going to be able to get behind the space where the steering wheel used to be? 2020, according to the CEO of Nissan.

"Our cars will be ready [by 2020]," said Carlos Ghosn in a briefing with reporters, as the Associated Press reports. The extent of their self-driving capabilities will depend on government regulations, Ghosn added.

The Nissan boss says younger consumers want cars that are autonomous, connected to the internet, and kind to the environment - those are the goals the manufacturer is working towards with its next-generation models.

Leaf it out

Electric cars are also very much on Nissan's roadmap, Ghosn confirmed - the company already manufactures the Nissan Leaf and is ready to go head-to-head with Tesla in the electric car market.

To begin with, Nissan's self-driving cars will help human drivers rather than replace them - so the foot pedals aren't going to be ripped out on New Year's Eve 2019 - and a fully autonomous car is still some way off.

"[A completely self-driving car] is the car of the future," said Ghosn. "But the consumer is more conservative. That makes us cautious." If you're eager to try out the tech as soon as you can, mark your calendars for 2020.

• Self-driving car takes first coast-to-coast road trip

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