Nissan Motor will begin testing an autonomous mobility service in Yokohama later this year in partnership with Boldly, Premier Aid, and Keikyu.
The pilot program is scheduled to run from November 27, 2025 through January 30, 2026 across several central districts, including Minato Mirai, Sakuragi-cho, Kannai, and Chinatown. A fleet of five Nissan Serena-based autonomous vehicles will operate along a route with 26 boarding and drop-off points.
The project is being carried out in collaboration with the City of Yokohama and will be supported by a remote monitoring control center, known as “PLOT48,” located in the Minato Mirai area.
During the trial, up to 300 members of the public will be recruited as test riders. Participants, referred to as “general monitors”, will be offered free transport in exchange for feedback to help improve the service.
The vehicles will run Tuesdays through Fridays between 8.30am and 4pm, with each car carrying up to three passengers. Services will pause during the year-end holidays, from December 20 to January 6.
Each of the four companies involved has a defined role. Nissan will oversee planning, provide the vehicles, and manage operations.
Boldly will supply the remote monitoring system, while Premier Aid will operate on-board monitoring and provide passenger assistance if required. Keikyu will contribute expertise in transport operations and management frameworks.
The trial aims to identify operational challenges and establish the ecosystem required for commercial rollout. The companies plan to introduce full services from fiscal year 2027 using driverless vehicles equipped with remote monitoring systems, equivalent to SAE Level 4 automation.
The vehicles in the pilot are classed as SAE Level 2, meaning a safety driver will remain on board.
Applications for the public trial opened on October 3 and will run until October 31 through the Easy Ride website, which is available in Japanese.
If successful, the program could help address local transport challenges and support the wider adoption of autonomous mobility in Japan.
