Autonomous driving technology company Wayve, ride-hailing platform Uber, and automaker Nissan Motor have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development and deployment of robotaxi services based on the Nissan LEAF.
The companies plan to prepare a pilot deployment in Tokyo by late 2026. The robotaxi fleet will use Nissan LEAF vehicles equipped with Wayve’s AI Driver technology and will be accessible to passengers through the Uber app.
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The collaboration marks Uber’s first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan and forms part of a broader robotaxi rollout being developed by Wayve and Uber, with plans for deployments in more than ten cities globally, including London.
Under the agreement, Wayve’s end-to-end autonomous driving system will be integrated into Nissan’s base vehicle platform. The system will enable the vehicles to connect with Uber’s ride-hailing network, allowing passengers to request robotaxi rides through the platform.
During the early pilot phase, the vehicles will operate with trained safety operators on board while serving riders on the Uber network.
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“Tokyo represents an important step forward in bringing embodied intelligence to one of the world’s most sophisticated mobility markets,” said Alex Kendall. “We have been testing our technology throughout Japan since early 2025, building extensive experience in the country’s unique road environments.”
Ivan Espinosa said the collaboration builds on existing work between the companies to integrate advanced artificial intelligence technologies into Nissan vehicles.
“Nissan is proud to collaborate in this next chapter of mobility innovation,” Espinosa said. “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.”
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Dara Khosrowshahi said the initiative reflects Uber’s broader strategy to expand autonomous mobility services on its platform.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an increasingly important part of the Uber platform,” Khosrowshahi said. “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.”
Uber said the robotaxi service in Japan will operate through a licensed taxi partner and will be launched in coordination with local regulators. The companies also revealed an early prototype of the Nissan LEAF-based robotaxi as part of the announcement.
