UK autonomous driving startup Wayve, Uber, and Nissan have signed a memorandum of understanding to deploy robotaxi services in Tokyo, the three companies announced on March 12, 2026. A pilot is planned for late 2026, pending discussions with local authorities.

How It Works

The partnership brings together Wayve's AI driving system, Nissan's LEAF electric vehicles, and Uber's ride-hailing network. Riders will be able to book a robotaxi through the standard Uber app, with the vehicle operating under Wayve's end-to-end AI driver. During the initial phase, a trained safety operator will be present in every car.

This is Uber's first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan and the next step in a broader rollout the company has planned across more than ten cities worldwide, including London.

Wayve's Approach

What sets Wayve's AI Driver apart is that it doesn't rely on HD maps — it learns from real-world data and generalizes across new roads and environments. The company has been conducting test drives in Japan since early 2025.

"Tokyo represents an important step forward in bringing embodied intelligence to one of the world's most sophisticated mobility markets," said Alex Kendall, Wayve's co-founder and CEO.

Backing and Scale

Wayve closed a $1.2 billion Series D in February, backed by Uber, Nvidia, Nissan, and SoftBank. The Tokyo MOU follows a similar partnership with Uber and Wayve already planning a pilot in London this spring.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber's CEO, called autonomous mobility "an increasingly important part of the Uber platform" and said the company aims to become the leading provider of robotaxi services by 2029.