TOKYO: Uber on Thursday announced its first robotaxi partnership in Japan, revealing plans to work with Nissan and British autonomous driving startup Wayve to launch a pilot self-driving taxi programme in Tokyo later this year.
Technology companies around the world — including Alphabet’s Waymo, Tesla and China’s Apollo Go — are competing to introduce autonomous taxi services, although the degree of self-driving capability offered by these systems varies.
Wayve, a British artificial intelligence company recently valued at $8.6 billion, focuses on developing vehicle AI that learns from real-world environments rather than relying on pre-mapped routes.
Under the collaboration, Nissan will integrate Wayve’s AI-powered autonomous driving technology into its vehicles. Uber and Wayve have already announced plans to begin commercial robotaxi trials in London later this year.
The three companies said the Tokyo trial is expected to begin by late 2026, pending approval from Japanese regulators.
Pilot phase
During the pilot phase, a trained safety operator will remain inside the vehicle to supervise the system while the car operates autonomously.
Wayve co-founder Alex Kendall said the service will allow users to request the vehicle through the Uber app, with artificial intelligence controlling the driving while a safety operator monitors the journey.
According to the companies, the partnership aims to expand robotaxi services to more than 10 cities worldwide, including London.
They noted that Tokyo presents a particularly demanding testing environment because of its heavy traffic, complicated road networks and strict safety requirements.
Wayve has also said it intends to introduce its autonomous driving technology in Nissan consumer vehicles beginning in the 2027 financial year.
Nissan is currently seeking to strengthen its position after facing intense competition in the automotive industry as well as pressure from US trade tariffs, several years after the high-profile arrest and escape of its former chairman Carlos Ghosn.
