YOKOHAMA, Japan (CHATNEWSTV) — Nissan Motor Co. has unveiled its latest autonomous driving technology, successfully testing a driverless vehicle on public roads in Yokohama’s Minato Mirai district, the company announced Monday.
For the first time in Japan, a test vehicle without a driver inside navigated a complex urban environment, marking a major step toward Nissan’s planned autonomous mobility service.
“This breakthrough demonstrates our commitment to solving transportation challenges such as driver shortages and providing new mobility solutions,” Nissan said in a statement.
The test vehicle, based on the Serena minivan, is equipped with 14 cameras, nine radars, and six LiDAR sensors, allowing for precise environmental detection and navigation. The integration of artificial intelligence has enhanced the system’s recognition, behavioral prediction, and control, enabling smoother operation in real-world conditions.
Nissan engineers pre-verified extensive driving scenarios along the test route and incorporated emergency stop functions and redundancy measures to ensure safety.
The company plans to conduct service demonstration tests with approximately 20 autonomous vehicles in Yokohama between fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with the goal of launching commercial autonomous mobility services in 2027 in collaboration with local governments and transportation operators.
Nissan’s initiative is being developed in cooperation with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the Yokohama city government. The project aligns with Japan’s broader push to accelerate Level 4 autonomous mobility services.
“As we continue advancing autonomous technology, Nissan remains focused on establishing a robust service ecosystem that ensures safety, reliability, and seamless integration with urban transport networks,” the company stated.
