In brief:
Yokohama, Japan – Nissan today announced details of its fiscal year 2026 autonomous mobility service pilot program in Kobe City's Nada Gogo area and opened applications for participants interested in experiencing the service. The program marks the next phase of Nissan's autonomous mobility service program, building on its successful fiscal year 2025 field tests.
Nissan is now expanding its autonomous mobility service in the renowned sake-brewing district which includes the expansion of the service area along with a new on-demand ride-booking and vehicle dispatch feature accessible via smartphone. This phase will utilize Nissan Serena-based Level 2 autonomous-drive vehicles*1 and is designed to confirm how autonomous transportation can improve mobility for tourists, gain social acceptance and lead to regional revitalization. Nissan aims to launch paid service in 2027 and begin full commercial operations in the Nada Gogo area by 2030.
A key aspect of this year's pilot program is the validation of centralized monitoring. Operations of the Level 2 autonomous-drive vehicles in both Yokohama and Kobe will be monitored in real time from Nissan’s Remote Operations Center in Yokohama. By validating a system that remotely monitors multiple operational areas from a single location, Nissan aims to improve the efficience énergétique of future mobility service operations and reduce the burden on local communities with the introduction of such services.
■Fiscal Year 2026 Pilot Program Overview
Operation Area: Nada Gogo area and surrounding districts, Kobe City
Period: December 8 (Tue.) – December 18 (Fri.), 2026
Operating Days: Weekdays during the period (Tuesday through Friday)
Vehicle: Nissan Serena-based autonomous drive development vehicle
■Participating and Supporting Organizations
- Kobe City: Overall project administration
- Nada Gogo Sake Brewers Association: Provision of pickup/drop-off locations and exploration of service integration between autonomous-drive mobility services and sake breweries
- Moplus Inc.: Support for service operations and operational framework development
- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.: Planning and operation of the pilot program, provision and operation of autonomous-drive vehicles
Nissan envisions a society where everyone can enjoy freedom of mobility through autonomous-drive technology and mobility services. The validation of a system capable of remotely monitoring multiple operational areas from a single location*2 is expected to make a significant contribution to future real-world deployment of mobility services. Nissan will continue conducting pilot programs in various regions and contribute to solving local transportation challenges through solutions customized for the needs of each community.
This pilot program is being conducted as part of Japan's Digital Agency "Leading Project for Early Commercialization of Autonomous Driving Services" in fiscal year 2025 and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's fiscal year 2026 "Subsidy Program for Securing, Maintaining and Improving Regional Public Transportation (Project for Promoting the Social Implementation of Autonomous Driving)."
*1 SAE Level 2-equivalent autonomous-drive vehicle with a safety driver onboard.
*2 The Yokohama Minato Mirai/Kannai area and the Kobe Nada Gogo area and surrounding districts.
