Wayve Expands Autonomous Driving Trials with Nissan in Tokyo

London-based Wayve has commenced public road trials in Tokyo using its self-driving technology installed on Nissan Ariya electric vehicles. The collaboration, formalized in April, marks Nissan as the first automaker to publicly adopt Wayve's system—a significant endorsement for the UK startup as it competes with Tesla, Waymo, and Baidu.

Wayve's approach emphasizes scalability, positioning it as a rare British contender in the global AI-driven autonomous vehicle race. Founder Alex Kendall revealed ongoing partnerships with major manufacturers across Europe, North America, and Japan, though Nissan remains the sole disclosed collaborator.

Nissan's integration of Wayve's Level 2 "eyes on, hands off" system complements its in-house autonomous development programs, including London-based trials. While the technology manages speed and steering in controlled conditions, human oversight remains mandatory—a contrast to "eyes off" systems deployed by competitors in the U.S. and China.