Wayve, Uber, and Nissan Plan Robotaxi Pilot in Tokyo

• Uber formed its first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan with Wayve, providing the AI driving system and Nissan supplying the vehicle platform.
• The collaboration is part of a broader robotaxi rollout planned by Wayve and Uber across more than ten cities worldwide, including London.

Wayve, Uber, and Nissan announced a collaboration to develop and deploy robotaxi services in Japan. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to begin work toward a pilot program in Tokyo that would introduce autonomous rides through the Uber platform. This is Uber’s first autonomous vehicle partnership in the Japanese market.

“Autonomous mobility is becoming an increasingly important part of the Uber platform. We are excited to expand our collaboration with Wayve and to work with Nissan to bring robotaxi services to Tokyo," said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, Uber, in a press release. "Following our planned pilot deployment in London, we look forward to expanding into Tokyo and introducing new, modern ways to travel in some of the world’s largest cities. It also reflects our long-term commitment to Japan, a critical market where innovation can help address driver shortages and support the future of urban transportation. Our goal is to give riders more ways to move with seamless access through the Uber app.”

The partnership brings together three roles in the service stack. Wayve contributes its AI driving system, Nissan provides the vehicle base, and Uber connects the service to riders through its ride-hailing network. The first vehicles shown for the program are based on the Nissan LEAF.

The companies plan to launch a pilot in Tokyo in late 2026, subject to discussions with authorities. During the early stage, the vehicles will operate on the Uber network with a trained safety operator in the car while riders access the service through the app.

🌀 Tom’s Take:

Tokyo is one of the toughest driving environments in the world, which makes it a real test case for robotaxis. If this pilot moves forward, it could show how autonomous ride networks scale globally through partnerships between AI developers, automakers, and ride-hailing platforms.

Source: Wayve