Japanese car manufacturer Nissan Motor, ride-hailing company Uber Technologies and British AI startup Wayve have announced a partnership to develop robotaxis, with plans to launch a pilot program in Tokyo by the end of 2026. The information was reported by BBC and cited by Forbes.
Under the agreement, the companies plan to deploy Nissan Leaf electric vehicles equipped with autonomous driving technology developed by Wayve. The vehicles will be available directly through the Uber app, marking the company’s first collaboration involving autonomous vehicles in Japan.
Read also: Wayve secures Nvidia and Microsoft backing in $1.2 billion round, reaches $8.6 billion valuation
Wayve CEO Alex Kendall said the company’s technology has been tested in Japan since early 2025 and that the partnership with Nissan and Uber will enable robotaxis to be introduced “in a responsible and controlled manner.”
Gradual rollout of the service
During the initial phase, the robotaxis operating on the Uber platform will include a safety driver inside the vehicle. The service will be launched through a licensed taxi operator in Japan to comply with local regulations.
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa told BBC that the companies are also exploring the possibility of expanding the collaboration to other markets.
In September last year, Nissan announced it had begun testing an advanced driver assistance system based on Wayve’s technology, aiming for a commercial launch in Japan during the 2027 fiscal year.
Photo: freepik.com
UK
IT
ES
DE
FR
RO
PT
HU
