Nissan Partners With U.K. Startup on AI Vehicles; New Tech Will Allow Self-Driving Cars in Urban Areas

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:43 JST, December 11, 2025

Nissan Motor Co. has signed an agreement to partner with British startup Wayve Technologies Ltd. to mass-produce autonomous vehicles using artificial intelligence.

Vehicles equipped with a jointly developed next-generation system are scheduled to be launched in Japan in fiscal 2027, followed by a global rollout starting in the United States.

Nissan aims to enhance its autonomous driving capabilities, which will determine the competitiveness of next-generation vehicles, and boost its sluggish sales.

The next-generation system, in which Wayve’s AI technology is integrated into Nissan’s driver-assistance technology ProPilot, will also be installed in lower-priced vehicles. Using information from the vehicles’ cameras and sensors, the AI will immediately assess surrounding situations to ensure smooth driving.

Nissan’s current system only allows autonomous driving on highways, but the new system will make it possible in urban areas as well. Wayve’s technology allows AI to learn surrounding traffic conditions like humans do, allowing it to adapt to diverse environments even without high-precision 3D maps.

The technology has already been praised for its autonomous driving in London’s narrow, complex streets, attracting investments from Nvidia Corp. of the United States and SoftBank Group Corp.

Nissan and Wayve began joint development of the next-generation system in Japan in April.

At a press conference Wednesday, Nissan Motor President Ivan Espinosa said that AI innovation is advancing at a pace exceeding expectations and that they hope to launch the vehicle in as many countries and regions as possible.

The automaker reported a massive operating loss for the business year ending March. It is currently implementing restructuring measures, cutting 20,000 jobs and closing seven plants globally.

Nissan is considered a leader among Japanese automakers in AI-based autonomous driving, and attention is focused on whether the latest move could be a catalyst for Nissan’s resurgence.