Nissan, a Japanese multinational automobile company, is set to launch a self-driving taxi service in Japan in April 2027.
According to a statement on Wednesday, the company would start testing the commercial service in the upcoming financial year from April, using minivans in an area of Yokohama, south of Tokyo.
“Local communities have been facing several mobility challenges, such as driver shortages, which are a result of an ageing population,” the statement said.
It added that it plans to work with local authorities and transport operators on the venture to provide a broad range of new services that enable free movement.
Nissan said it has been testing business models for self-driving mobility services in Japan and abroad since 2017.
Last year, Honda, US auto giant General Motors, announced they would establish a joint venture to begin a driverless ride service in Japan in early 2026.
Toyota, another Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer, is also planning to launch a pilot project using automated vehicles in the Odaiba area of Tokyo in July, according to a spokesman from AFP.
“From 2025, Toyota plans to launch a paid service and expand it to other districts of central Tokyo, in what will be Japan’s first automated driving service on public roads with other vehicles,” Yomiuri Daily said.
The spokesman added that they are working with related stakeholders to discuss various aspects of future automated driving, but details have not yet been finalised.
Japan has made its acceleration a top priority to address its specific challenges of a shortage of workforce and an ageing population that needs transportation options while other countries are developing autonomous vehicles.
Since last year, road traffic laws have allowed Level 4 self-driving vehicles to operate on public roads in certain circumstances.
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