Nissan, Uber and Wayve unveil robotaxi tie-up

Nissan, Uber, and Wayve join forces to develop robotaxis, planning a Tokyo pilot by late 2026. The service will use Nissan Leafs with Wayve’s self-driving technology, initially operated with safety drivers on Uber’s platform.

Reuters

March 12, 2026

Nissan, Uber and Wayve unveil robotaxi tie-up

Nissan Motor's CEO Ivan Espinosa shakes hands with Sarfraz Maredia, global head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber, while Wayve CEO and Co-founder Alex Kendall looks on, during their joint press conference to announce possible cooperation and collaboration on self-driving taxis in Tokyo, Japan March 12, 2026.

Issei Kato/Reuters

Nissan Motor, Uber Technologies, and British startup Wayve said on Thursday (March 12) they will collaborate on developing robotaxis, aiming to roll out a pilot program in Tokyo by late 2026.

Uber's first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan, the plan provides for Nissan Leaf electric vehicles equipped with Wayve's self-driving technology to be made available to customers via Uber, the companies said in a joint statement.

The vehicles will operate on Uber's platform in the initial phase, with a trained safety driver in the cars. Uber plans to launch the service through a licensed taxi partner in Japan.

Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa told reporters that the companies were discussing whether to extend their cooperation to markets other than Japan.

Wayve, backed by SoftBank and Nvidia, partnered with Uber in August 2024. The two companies aim to launch services in more than 10 cities worldwide, including London later this year.

Last September, Nissan said it had begun testing a driver-assistance system using Wayve's technology, ahead of a planned launch in Japan in financial year 2027.

Production: Joseph Campbell/Reuters