Auto-drive plans for Japan

Nissan is taking a significant step towards the company's long-term vision, Nissan Ambition 2030, to help solve transport service issues facing Japan’s local communities. 

The country has several mobility challenges, including driver shortages as a result of an ageing population. 

With its autonomous-drive mobility service, Nissan wants to provide a broad range of new services that enable free movement.

The company has been testing business models for mobility services in Japan and a number of other countries since 2017. 

A manned mobility service called Namie Smart Mobility has been in operation since 2021 in the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama and Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture.

Outside of Japan, Nissan has been testing autonomous-drive mobility in London and other areas with the support of the UK government.

Equipped with this knowledge, Nissan plans to begin offering autonomous-drive mobility services starting in mid-2027, working with third parties such as local authorities and transport operators.

Nissan will begin trials in the Minato Mirai area this year, and eventually scale up the trials in 2025. During the trials, the level of autonomous driving will be gradually enhanced while assessing customer acceptance, with the aim of providing driverless services.