Nissan Autonomous Mobility Testing Expands to Ten Vehicles

Nissan Expands Autonomous Mobility Service Field Testing

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is expanding its Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. autonomous mobility service field testing program in fiscal year 2026, with testing scheduled across two phases. The first phase will run for one month in October, followed by a second phase from November through December 18. The program, which began in fiscal year 2025, will involve vehicles based on Nissan’s Serena minivan and equipped with cameras and sensors. Passengers will request rides through a dedicated smartphone application, allowing Nissan and its partners to evaluate autonomous mobility operations under field conditions.

Testing Program Will Increase Vehicle and Participant Numbers

For fiscal year 2026, Nissan plans to increase the testing fleet to ten vehicles while raising the number of participants from 300 to 500. The expansion provides a larger operating base for evaluating the autonomous mobility service and its supporting systems during the planned testing periods. The vehicles will continue to use the Serena minivan platform with cameras and sensors for passenger transportation. The program is designed around ride requests made through a dedicated smartphone application, connecting passenger demand with the vehicles participating in the field tests.

KDDI to Study Network Requirements During Phase One

KDDI Corporation will join Phase One and focus on network-related requirements associated with autonomous mobility operations. Its work will include analyzing network congestion in areas around high-rise buildings and densely populated locations, along with examining the data volume and quality required for remote monitoring. These evaluations are important to the field testing because autonomous mobility services rely on communications and monitoring capabilities alongside vehicle-based cameras and sensors. The results will help assess the network conditions and data requirements encountered during real-world testing environments.

Additional Partners Will Support Phase Two Operations

During Phase Two, Moplus Inc., based in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, will participate in the field testing alongside Nissan and the other companies involved in the program. Premier Aid Inc., also based in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, will support vehicle operation monitoring systems, while Kokusai Motorcars Co., Ltd., based in Minato Ward, Tokyo, will support the establishment of an operational framework. The expanded participation creates a broader operating structure for the second testing phase, with different companies contributing to monitoring systems and the framework needed to conduct passenger-oriented autonomous mobility services.

Testing Builds on Nissan's FY 2025 Autonomous Mobility Work

The FY 2026 program extends autonomous mobility field testing that has been underway since fiscal year 2025 and introduces a larger fleet, a larger participant group, and additional corporate involvement. In Japan, the two-phase schedule will allow the participating companies to evaluate the service across different operating conditions while examining communications, remote monitoring, vehicle operation, and operational organization. The planned testing does not simply increase vehicle numbers; it also broadens the areas of supporting-system evaluation. This combination can provide practical information for Nissan and its partners as they continue developing the autonomous mobility service.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The FY 2026 expansion gives Nissan and its partners a broader basis for assessing the practical requirements of passenger-oriented autonomous mobility services, particularly the communications, monitoring, and operational systems needed alongside sensor-equipped vehicles. Increasing the fleet to ten vehicles and participants to 500 can generate a wider range of operating experience, while KDDI's network analysis addresses an important supporting requirement in dense and high-rise environments. The involvement of Premier Aid Inc. and Kokusai Motorcars Co., Ltd. further strengthens the operational focus of Phase Two. The next meaningful step will be evaluating the results from both phases and determining how those findings inform future service development.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nissan's FY 2026 autonomous mobility field testing plan?
The plan expands Nissan's ongoing autonomous mobility field testing with ten vehicles and 500 participants across two phases scheduled from October through December 18. The program uses Serena minivans equipped with cameras and sensors to transport passengers who request rides through a dedicated smartphone application. KDDI will support Phase One by analyzing network congestion and remote-monitoring data requirements, while additional companies will contribute during Phase Two. The testing builds on work that has been underway since fiscal year 2025 and focuses on vehicle operation, communications, monitoring systems, and the operational framework required for the service.