A roll-out is planned later this year.
UK start-up Wayve, Uber and Nissan are collaborating to deploy robotaxi services in Tokyo.
In a joint press release, the companies said that the deal will see Nissan’s Leaf electric vehicles equipped with Wayve’s AI technology, made available to customers via Uber’s platform. A roll-out is planned later this year.
During the initial phase, safety riders will be seated in all robotaxis, the three said. Last September, Nissan said that it was testing a driver assistance system that uses Wayve’s technology, with a planned launch in Japan in 2027.
“We have been testing our technology throughout Japan since early 2025, building extensive experience in the country’s unique road environments,” said Alex Kendall, the co-founder and CEO of Wayve.
“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.”
This is Uber’s first robotaxi partnership in Japan. The company recently announced its plans for an international roll-out that also includes London, Madrid, Munich, Hong Kong, and a number of US cities.
Uber’s London roll-out this spring is in partnership with Wayve, a company it backs. The ride-hailing platform recently announced plans to be the leading provider of robotaxi services by 2029.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an increasingly important part of the Uber platform,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber.
“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…Our goal is to give riders more ways to move with seamless access through the Uber app.”
Ivan Espinosa, the president and CEO of Nissan said: “Our work with Wayve to integrate advanced AI technology across our consumer vehicle portfolio has laid strong foundations, and we are excited to take this partnership further with a pilot deployment of Robotaxi in Tokyo, bringing together Wayve’s AI technology, Uber’s network, and Nissan vehicles.”
Nissan also supported Wayve in its $1.2bn Series D round announced this February. Big name backers Nvidia and SoftBank also participated in the round.
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