( CNN ) -- Nissan has just joined Google in the race to make driverless cars a reality . The Japanese automaker is aiming to have such driverless autos on the road by 2020 . `` Nissan Motor Company 's willingness to question conventional thinking and to drive progress is what sets us apart , '' said CEO Carlos Ghosn , in a press release . `` In 2007 I pledged that -- - by 2010 -- - Nissan would mass market a zero-emission vehicle . Today , the Nissan Leaf is the best-selling electric vehicle in history . Now I am committing to be ready to introduce a new ground-breaking technology , Autonomous Drive , by 2020 , and we are on track to realize it . '' SEE ALSO : Tesla Opens First Plant in the Netherlands . Nissan intends to start testing such vehicles by 2014 . It 's unclear how long Nissan has been testing the technology , though the release refers to `` years . '' Google began road-testing its self-driven autos in 2010 . The search giant has no stated intention to use the cars for commercial purposes . However , the company could benefit from selling its technology to automakers . The automaker does not appear to be working with Google on its Autonomous Vehicles as it dubs them . However , it has developing the technology `` alongside teams from the world 's top universities , including MIT , Stanford , Oxford , Carnegie Mellon and the University of Tokyo , '' according to the release . Meanwhile , Nissan 's not the only automaker looking into driverless cars : Audi and Toyota have both displayed driverless car prototypes . This article originally appeared on Mashable . © 2013 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
Google says it will have a driverless car on the road by 2015 . Google began field - testing self - driving cars in 2010 . Audi and Toyota have displayed prototypes .