Nissan aims to start driverless ride service in Japan by 2027

Walton Advanced Engineering

28/02/2024 11:44

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor
 7201.T  aims to start a small-scale driverless ride service in
Japan in about three years as part of a move to use the
technology to make up for a shrinking number of taxi drivers, it
said on Wednesday.
    Nissan hopes to begin offering what is known as Level 4
autonomous driving services in three or four municipalities in
Japan, including in rural areas, by the financial year starting
April 2027.
    In the lead-up to that programme, the automaker will conduct
a trial in Japan's second-biggest city of Yokohama with as many
as 20 remodelled Serena minivans over the coming years.
    Rival manufacturers including Honda Motor  7267.T , Nippon
Telegraph and Telephone and Toyota Motor  7203.T  are stepping
up their interest in driverless services, developing the
technology amid a rapid ageing of Japan's population.
    Honda said in October it would set up a joint venture with
General Motors  GM.N  and its robotaxi unit Cruise in the first
half of this year as it seeks to begin a driverless ride service
in Japan in early 2026.
    Days after that announcement, Cruise suspended its U.S.
operations following an accident in San Francisco, where one of
its robotaxis dragged a pedestrian struck by another car.
    Nissan will conduct its initial trial in Yokohama at Level 2
autonomy and the vehicles will have a safety driver on board,
Kazuhiro Doi, corporate vice-president of Nissan Research and
Advanced Engineering, told reporters.

 (Reporting by Daniel Leussink
Editing by Mark Potter)
 ((daniel.leussink@thomsonreuters.com; Twitter:
@danielleussink;))