Nissan, Uber and Wayve collaborate on robotaxis
The collaboration comes just two weeks after Wayve announced a €1 billion funding round involving strategic investors such as Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Stellantis, Uber, Nvidia, and Microsoft. This investment has propelled the London-based company to become one of Europe’s most valuable startups.
Specifically, Wayve, Uber, and Nissan have now signed a letter of intent to collaborate on the development of robotaxi vehicles and robotaxi services. The partners aim to launch a pilot project in Tokyo by the end of 2026, where the third-generation Nissan Leaf, equipped with the ‘Wayve AI Driver’, will be available via Uber. The robotaxis in Tokyo will be bookable through the Uber app and will initially operate with a trained safety driver on board. Uber also plans to collaborate with a licensed taxi partner in Japan for this initiative.
Wayve CEO Alex Kendall said: “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. 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.”
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa added: “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. 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.”
The partnership with Nissan is also part of Wayve and Uber’s broader initiative to introduce robotaxis in more than ten cities worldwide, including Wayve’s home base in London. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi 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.”
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