Uber, Wayve and Nissan plan to launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo this year

In Brief

Fresh disconnected a $1.2B backing round, U.K.-based autonomous conveyance bundle institution Wayve is teaming up with Uber and Nissan to motorboat a robotaxi work successful Tokyo, with a aviator scheduled for precocious 2026.

The companies said the woody volition spot Wayve integrating its AI-powered, self-driving bundle into a Nissan Leaf, which volition beryllium disposable connected Uber’s ride-hail network. This is Uber’s archetypal robotaxi concern successful Japan, and besides the latest successful a bid of deals that the ride-hail elephantine and Wayve person successful the pipeline.

Wayve claims its autonomous bundle tin enactment connected immoderate vehicle, with immoderate hardware, and without the usage of an HD map. The startup is juggling a lot: It’s moving connected launching another robotaxi service successful London with Uber, and is besides integrating its driver-assistance tech successful Nissan vehicles slated for accumulation successful 2027.

Uber, meanwhile, keeps scooping up partners astir the satellite arsenic it seeks to go the go-to app for hailing self-driving taxis. It has struck much than 25 of these partnerships to date. Earlier this week, it announced plans to marque Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi disposable connected the Uber app successful Las Vegas later this year.

Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news