Wayve Robotaxi Partnership with Uber and Nissan Targets Tokyo Pilot

The Wayve robotaxi partnership with Uber and Nissan represents a new step toward autonomous ride-hailing services in Japan. Announced on March 12, the three companies signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop robotaxi technology and prepare for a pilot program in Tokyo. The initiative aims to deploy autonomous vehicles operating through Uber’s platform, allowing passengers to experience AI-driven transportation as part of everyday urban travel.

Autonomous Robotaxi Pilot Planned for Tokyo

The collaboration will focus on launching a pilot robotaxi service in Tokyo by the end of 2026. The project marks Uber’s first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan and expands its broader global robotaxi deployment strategy, which already includes planned services in more than ten cities worldwide, including London. Through this initiative, the companies aim to test real-world integration of autonomous vehicles into an established ride-hailing ecosystem.

Integration of AI Driving System into Nissan Leaf

Under the agreement, the companies will integrate Wayve’s end-to-end AI autonomous driving technology into Nissan Leaf–based vehicles. These vehicles will host the Wayve AI Driver system and connect directly with Uber’s ride-hailing platform to match autonomous taxis with passenger requests. During the early deployment phase, each vehicle will include a trained safety operator, enabling supervised operations while gathering operational data and refining the autonomous system for future large-scale deployments.

The AI Driver technology is designed to learn from real-world driving data and adapt to new roads without relying on high-definition maps. Uber plans to introduce the service through a licensed taxi partner in Japan while coordinating closely with regulators and transportation authorities. As part of the announcement, the companies also revealed an early robotaxi prototype built on the Nissan LEAF platform.