Nissan Motor Company announced that it has signed an agreement with Wayve and Uber to collaborate on the development of robotaxis and to “commence activities to realize the deployment of robotaxi services” in Japan. The Japanese automaker confirmed that the three parties will begin preparations for a pilot deployment by the Uber taxi service in Tokyo of Nissan Leaf robotaxis featuring Wayve AI Driver systems by late 2026.
Nissan confirmed that this is Uber’s first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan and marks the next milestone in Wayve and Uber’s global robotaxi rollout, which includes planned services across more than ten major cities globally, including London.
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The partners plan to integrate Wayve’s end-to-end AI Driver autonomous driving system into the Nissan Leaf battery electric vehicle (BEV) and connect it to Ubers ride-hailing platform. During the initial phase, the vehicles will operate on the Uber network with a trained safety operator onboard, in one of the world’s most challenging markets with its dense traffic patterns, complex road layouts, and high safety standards.
Uber said it plans to launch the service through a licensed taxi partner in Japan, working in close alignment with relevant authorities, and is currently in the process of selecting its partners.
Nissan Motor’s CEO, Ivan Espinosa, said in a statement: “Nissan is proud to collaborate in this next chapter of mobility innovation. Our work with Wayve to integrate its advanced AI technology across our consumer vehicle portfolio has laid strong foundations, and we are excited to take this partnership further with the pilot deployment of Robotaxi in Tokyo, bringing together Wayve’s AI technology, Uber’s network, and Nissan vehicles.”
Wayve’s co-founder & CEO, Alex Kendall, stated: “Tokyo represents an important step forward in bringing embodied intelligence to one of the world’s most sophisticated mobility markets. We have been testing our technology throughout Japan since early 2025, building extensive experience in the country’s unique road environments. Partnering with Uber and Nissan to begin pilot deployment of robotaxis allows us to introduce this technology in a responsible way, while continuing to learn and expand.”
UBER’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, added: “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. 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.”
