The North American platform Uber announced this Thursday, 12, that it will collaborate with the Japanese automaker Nissan and the British autonomous driving company Wayve to operate robots in Japan from the end of 2026.
“This partnership marks Uber’s first collaboration with autonomous vehicles in Japan and the next milestone in the global rollout of Wayve and Uber robots, which includes planned services in more than ten cities around the world, including London,” the companies explained in a joint statement.
The plan is to offer a pilot program in the Japanese capital Tokyo by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approval, integrating Wayve’s AI-powered autonomous driving system into Nissan’s new LEAF electric vehicles.
The cars will connect to Uber’s ride-hailing platform and be paired with riders.
“Nissan’s vision is to bring mobility intelligence to everyday life, and we believe this initiative reflects how we translate this ambition into practical applications,” said Nissan President and CEO Ivan Espinosa in a statement.
During the initial phase of the program, a security operator will be present inside the vehicles, the companies explained.
Uber is still in the process of selecting a local taxi company in Japan to launch the project, in collaboration with relevant authorities, they added.
Leave a Reply