Nissan Leaf chose CEATEC Japan 2012 to roll out a modified prototype equipped with limited autonomous capabilities. Called the NSC-2015, its is fitted with a remote monitoring system that "recognizes the surrounding environment through use of an all-around view camera and 4th generation (4G) mobile communications."

The idea is the car could drive itself down the street, exit the vehicle and then tell it to park itself with a smartphone application. The car would then search for an open parking spot and park.

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Interestingly, the Nissan Leaf NSC-2015 could drive on a busy public highway, or speed down an autobahn without human interaction. There are also the system's onboard camera also acts as a security system and inform the owner of any suspicious behavior when it's parked.

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That the 2013 Nissan Leaf EV hasn't been the success Nissan Motor Co hoped for, but Japanese auto makers isn't sitting with its arms crossed waiting for a miracle to happen.

To help spur sales of the 2013 Nissan Leaf EV, the company plans to offer a budget variant of the car next year. The move will likely result in a lower price point than the existing $36,050 starting price in the States, not including a $7,500 federal tax credit.

The 2013 Nissan Leaf EV is slated to begin production in Smyrna, it is expected to hit US showrooms before March. Nissan sold a total of 5,212 units of the LEAF EV in the United States, down from 7,199 in the first nine months of the year before.