Nissan and Mitsubishi to Launch Autonomous Driving Service in 2027 in Japan

Expanding to a Fleet of 100 Vehicles by 2029

On September 21, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that Nissan Motor Company, in partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation, will launch an autonomous driving service business in fiscal year 2027 (April 2027 to March 2028).

Nissan plans to operate dozens of autonomous vehicles in at least two cities in fiscal year 2027 and to expand the fleet to around 100 vehicles by fiscal year 2029. These vehicles fall under the category of "fully autonomous under specific conditions," which is one level below "full autonomy" as classified by the Japanese government. The vehicles will operate without drivers and will be managed remotely.

Nissan intends to leverage Mitsubishi Corporation's sales network to offer autonomous driving services to local governments and transportation operators facing driver shortages. The business will be operated by "Moplus," a company established in March with equal investment from Nissan and Mitsubishi Corporation. Moplus will primarily utilize Nissan vehicles for the autonomous driving service, but plans to use vehicles from other manufacturers if requested by customers.

Starting in November, Nissan, in collaboration with a SoftBank subsidiary and others, plans to conduct a demonstration experiment with up to 20 autonomous vehicles in Yokohama City.

The Nikkei reported, "The United States and China are leading the way in autonomous driving services," adding, "Efforts to commercialize such services are also expanding in Japan."