Nissan, Uber near deal to deploy autonomous ride-hailing vehicles

Core Insights - Nissan Motor is nearing an agreement with Uber Technologies to deploy autonomous vehicles for global ride-hailing services, in collaboration with Wayve Technologies [1][3] Group 1: Partnership and Technology Development - The partnership aims to develop self-driving systems for future ride-hailing fleets, with production vehicles expected to launch in fiscal 2027 featuring hands-free autonomous driving capabilities for urban environments [2] - Wayve Technologies specializes in end-to-end artificial intelligence technology, enabling automated driving by analyzing real-time footage from onboard cameras [2] Group 2: Funding and Market Strategy - Wayve recently secured $1.2 billion in Series D funding, achieving a post-money valuation of $8.6 billion, with total funding expected to reach $1.5 billion including milestone-based capital commitments from Uber [3] - Uber plans to introduce autonomous ride-hailing services in Japan and other markets using the self-driving technology developed by Nissan and Wayve [3] Group 3: Current Capabilities and Sales Performance - Nissan's existing systems are classified as Level 2 autonomous driving, requiring driver intervention in certain situations, while the company aims for Level 5 fully driverless capability [4] - In January 2026, Nissan reported global sales of 272,782 vehicles, with a decline of 11% in Japan to 35,287 units, while overseas sales increased by 2.8% to 217,316 units [4][5]