Uber, Nissan & Wayve Bring AI Robotaxis To Tokyo!

Uber is expanding its autonomous mobility ambitions in Asia!

The ride-hailing giant announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with AI startup Wayve and automaker Nissan to develop and pilot robotaxis in Tokyo, with a potential rollout planned for late 2026 pending regulatory approvals.

The collaboration marks Uber’s first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan and represents the next milestone in a broader global robotaxi strategy that the company is building alongside Wayve.
 

TL;DR

 

• Uber, Wayve, and Nissan have partnered to develop robotaxis and launch a pilot service in Tokyo by late 2026.
• The vehicles will be Nissan LEAF models equipped with Wayve’s AI Driver and integrated into Uber’s ride-hailing platform.
• The Tokyo pilot will initially operate with safety operators in the vehicle.
• The initiative is part of a global rollout of robotaxi services planned across more than 10 cities, including London.

The MoU will see work begin on robotaxis that will eventually be deployed through the Uber platform.

Under the initiative, Nissan’s electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, will be equipped with Wayve’s AI-powered autonomous driving technology and connected to Uber’s ride-hailing network. Riders will be able to access the robotaxi service directly through the Uber app.

During the initial rollout phase, each vehicle will include a trained safety operator inside the car. This approach allows passengers to experience autonomous rides while maintaining safety oversight as the technology continues to learn and adapt.

 

Wayve’s AI Driver Technology Targets Complex Urban Roads

At the heart of the collaboration lies Wayve’s end-to-end autonomous driving system, known as the AI Driver. The technology is designed to learn from real-world driving data and adapt to new environments without relying on high-definition maps.

This approach enables autonomous systems to generalize across cities and road conditions, which is particularly useful in dense urban environments such as Tokyo.

Tokyo is widely considered one of the most complex mobility ecosystems in the world due to heavy traffic, intricate road layouts, and strict safety requirements. Successfully deploying robotaxis in such an environment would represent a major milestone for autonomous driving technology.

“Tokyo represents an important step forward in bringing embodied intelligence to one of the world’s most sophisticated mobility markets. We have been testing our technology throughout Japan since early 2025, building extensive experience in the country’s unique road environments," said, Alex Kendall, Cofounder and CEO of Wayve. "Partnering with Uber and Nissan to begin pilot deployment of Robotaxi allows us to introduce this technology in a responsible way, while continuing to learn and expand.”
 

Global Robotaxi Strategy Expands Beyond London

The Tokyo pilot is part of a broader robotaxi expansion plan led by Uber and Wayve, which includes planned deployments across more than ten cities globally.

London is already expected to host one of the earlier rollouts, and Tokyo now joins the roadmap as a key Asian market.

Nissan will play a central role in this initiative by providing the base vehicles capable of integrating Wayve’s AI technology. The companies aim to combine Nissan’s vehicle engineering, Wayve’s artificial intelligence, and Uber’s large-scale mobility network to scale autonomous transportation services.
 
“Nissan is proud to collaborate in this next chapter of mobility innovation. Our work with Wayve to integrate advanced AI technology across our consumer vehicle portfolio has laid strong foundations, and 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," said Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. "Nissan’s vision is to bring mobility intelligence to everyday life, and we believe this initiative reflects how we translate that ambition into real-world applications.”

Uber also confirmed that the service in Japan will be launched through a licensed taxi partner, and the company is currently in the process of selecting partners while coordinating closely with regulators.

“Autonomous mobility is becoming an increasingly important part of the Uber platform," Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, said. "We are excited to expand our collaboration with Wayve and to work with Nissan to bring robotaxi services to Tokyo. 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.”

The companies also revealed an early look at a prototype robotaxi based on the Nissan LEAF, reinforcing their shared ambition to bring intelligent autonomous mobility to cities worldwide.

At the same time, Uber announced a partnership with Zoox to bring its purpose-built robotaxis to the Uber platform, beginning in Las Vegas this summer, with Los Angeles slated for a mid-2027 rollout.