Japanese automaker Nissan is the latest to open a research Center in Silicon Valley. The company plans to tap into the area's high tech innovation.
It's no coincidence that the new Nissan Research Center in Sunnyvale is fewer than five miles away from Google headquarters. Google is at the forefront in developing self driving cars.
Autonomous driving is one of the future car trends Nissan plans to explore according to the new center's director, Martin Sierhuis.
"It's about moving ahead in a way that we can be more safe and have less accidents. Also, its a way to drive closer together so now you are thinking about eliminating traffic jams and eventually you can think about redesigning how we live, urban planning," explains Sierhuis.
Nissan is also looking at car connectivity and driving behavior at its new lab. The company, already a trend setter in electric car development, plans to use electric research vehicles at its Silicon Valley center. Nissan joins several automakers with labs already in the Valley including BMW and Ford.