Nissan Ventures into Urban Self-Driving Technology Amid Industry Challenges

Japanese automaker Nissan is developing self-driving technology

TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink.

Nissan's latest comeback attempt: self-driving vehicles equipped with Wayve's technology

Nissan has yet to reveal models but did say the vehicles would be available in 2027. Japanese automaker Nissan is developing vehicles with self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology developed by British company Wayve, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. It's set to be available in 2027, although Nissan did not give the models or other details. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink.

Japanese automaker Nissan is developing self-driving technology

TOKYO -- Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink.

Japanese automaker Nissan is developing self-driving technology

TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Japanese Automaker Nissan Is Developing Self-Driving Technology

In this image made from video provided by Nissan Motor Co., Japanese automaker Nissan's test vehicle featuring an automated driving system packed with artificial intelligence moves on a road in Tokyo on September, 2025. (Nissan Motor Co. via AP) TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business. In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections. Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets. It's an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities. Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it's still in the testing stage. Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox. Nissan's push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Nissan revamps ProPilot to rival Tesla's driver-assist technology

Nissan Motor is on a mission under new CEO Ivan Espinosa to rebuild its business, and while refreshing its lineup is a key part of that, so is winning back customers who demand cutting-edge technology. Leveraging its partnership with Wayve Technologies, a U.K.-based artificial intelligence startup backed by SoftBank Group, Nissan is preparing to launch the newest generation of its ProPilot driver-assistance system during the fiscal year ending March 2028. The automaker says the most advanced iteration of its driver-assist technology will be on par with Tesla's Full Self-Driving, which despite its name requires human supervision and intervention. While the systems still amount to Level 2 autonomy -- meaning a person must always be ready to take over -- ProPilot amounts to Nissan's best foot forward in contending with the U.S. EV giant and Alphabet's Waymo in the race to build self-driving cars.