Uber, Nissan Motor Co. and British autonomous‑driving startup Wayve have announced a joint pilot program that will deploy Nissan Leaf electric vehicles equipped with Wayve’s mapless AI system on Uber’s ride‑hailing platform in Tokyo by late 2026. The partnership marks Uber’s first autonomous‑vehicle collaboration in Japan and expands its global robotaxi footprint.
The pilot will operate in a defined service area of central Tokyo, with an initial fleet of 50 Leaf vehicles. Each vehicle will carry a trained safety operator during the first phase, allowing the AI to learn and refine its driving in the city’s dense traffic and complex road network. The program is contingent on regulatory approval from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which are currently reviewing the application.
Wayve’s technology, which relies on end‑to‑end deep‑learning without high‑definition maps, has been tested in Japan since early 2025. The Tokyo pilot will be a critical validation of the system in one of the world’s most demanding autonomous‑driving environments. Wayve recently closed a $1.2 billion Series D round in February 2026, valuing the company at $8.6 billion and underscoring investor confidence in its mapless approach.
For Nissan, the collaboration provides a real‑world proving ground for Wayve’s AI, which the automaker plans to embed in its next‑generation ProPILOT driver‑assist system slated for consumer vehicles in fiscal year 2027. The partnership also supports Nissan’s broader “Nissan Intelligent Mobility” strategy, which seeks to integrate advanced autonomous capabilities across its product line.
Uber’s strategy positions the company as the primary demand layer for autonomous‑vehicle operators. By leveraging its extensive rider network, Uber can accelerate deployment of self‑driving fleets without owning the vehicles or developing the technology. The Tokyo pilot is part of Uber’s broader plan to launch robotaxi services in more than ten cities worldwide, including London, and to reach up to 15 active autonomous‑vehicle markets by the end of 2026.
The pilot’s success will influence several key market dynamics: it will demonstrate Wayve’s ability to navigate complex urban environments, validate Uber’s asset‑light model in a new geography, and provide Nissan with a high‑profile testbed for future consumer‑vehicle integration. The collaboration also positions all three companies to compete more effectively against established players such as Waymo and Cruise, who are also pursuing robotaxi deployments in Japan.
The announcement was made by Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Nissan’s President and CEO Ivan Espinosa, and Wayve’s co‑founder and CEO Alex Kendall, all of whom highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership for their respective organizations.
The pilot is expected to begin in late 2026, pending regulatory approval, and will initially operate with safety operators. Once the system demonstrates reliable performance, the plan is to transition to fully driverless operation, aligning with Japan’s evolving autonomous‑vehicle regulatory framework.
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