Nissan to test self-driving mobility service in Yokohama
Nissan Motor Co. said Friday that it will test a transportation service using self-driving vehicles in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, for two months beginning Nov. 27.
The company aims to launch an autonomous mobility service without drivers in 2027 or later.
About 300 pre-registered general users will be able to use the pilot service in the Minatomirai and Kannai districts, covering office areas, residential neighbourhoods and tourist attractions. Five autonomous vehicles based on the Serena minivan will be deployed.
In the pilot service, users will hail vehicles at 26 designated pickup locations via a special app and travel to their destinations.
Operations will be monitored from a control room, with staff dispatched if any issues arise. While drivers will be on board for emergencies, they will not normally operate the steering wheel.
The service corresponds to Level 2 autonomous driving technology, which requires drivers to take over manual control when necessary.
Nissan President and CEO Ivan Espinosa said in a presentation that commercialising autonomous driving requires not only developing the technology but also establishing an operational framework. He said the company hopes to identify operational challenges through the pilot program.
The service will be operated in collaboration with a SoftBank Corp. subsidiary that develops autonomous vehicle operating systems and Keikyu Corp.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
