Wayve, Uber and Nissan Team Up to Bring Robotaxis to Tokyo

A New Robotaxi Alliance Targets Tokyo

British AI startup Wayve Technologies has signed a memorandum of understanding with Uber and Nissan to develop and deploy robotaxi services, beginning with a pilot programme in Tokyo by late 2026. The collaboration marks Uber's first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan.

How It Works

Under the agreement, Wayve's end-to-end AI autonomous driving system will be integrated into Nissan's Leaf electric vehicles. Riders will be able to hail these self-driving cars through the Uber app, though a trained safety operator will remain in each vehicle during the initial phase. Wayve has been testing its technology across Japan since early 2025.

Why It Matters for Nissan

The deal carries strategic urgency for Nissan, which is projecting a net loss of roughly four billion dollars for the fiscal year ending in March, driven by restructuring costs and weak global sales. Beyond the robotaxi venture, Nissan plans to install next-generation driver-assistance technology developed with Wayve in consumer vehicles starting in fiscal year 2027, pairing Wayve's AI Driver software with Nissan's own perception technology.

A Crowded Global Race

The partnership places the trio in direct competition with established players including Waymo, Tesla, and China's Apollo Go. Wayve recently raised one point two billion dollars in Series D funding at a valuation of eight point six billion dollars, with backing from Microsoft, Nvidia, Uber, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. The company distinguishes itself with AI that learns from real-world driving data rather than relying on pre-mapped routes, claiming to have driven autonomously in over five hundred cities across three continents in a single year.

What Comes Next

The Tokyo pilot is part of a broader Wayve-Uber rollout targeting more than ten cities globally, including London. Uber has separately committed up to three hundred million dollars in milestone-based capital to support multi-year robotaxi deployments across Wayve's network.