The technology underlying SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles is almost complete; the business aspect is less so.
Robotaxis has made a modest debut in the US, with a few hiccups and still little hope of profitability; however, SAE Level 4 efforts elsewhere in the world have encountered far fewer regulatory obstacles. It’s evident that automakers and ride-hailing services want robotaxis to become widely used, but it’s unclear exactly where this can be achieved.
Nissan has now committed to launching its in-house developed SAE Level 4 system in Japan. And by the 2027 fiscal year, it intends to have done so.
Nissan’s autonomous program hasn’t made much news up to this point, and for good reason—the carmaker has been using Japan and the UK to test various aspects of its upcoming mobility services. Though a few cities (including the Bay Area, of course) have allowed for Level 4 testing, we can probably thank the more than 50 US jurisdictions—each with its own set of laws regarding autonomous vehicle testing—for keeping some automakers’ commercial Level 3 and Level 4 systems out of the US for the time being.
Nissan is launching its autonomous-drive mobility services on the market with two strategies. First, it has been testing human-driven cars in Japan since 2017—in the Yokohama neighborhood of Minato Mirai and Namie in Fukushima Prefecture. However, Nissan has been testing its autonomous technology systems in London.
The objective is to integrate the components of both initiatives to create driverless vehicles that will provide mobility services in Japan beginning in 2027.
When explaining its decision to commercialize its in-house Level 4 technology, Nissan cites a statistic that US autonomous vehicle developers don’t often share.
An aging population has resulted in some mobility issues for local communities, including a driver shortage, according to the automaker. Nissan will offer a multitude of new services through this offering that facilitate unrestricted mobility.
The automaker plans to test its SAE Level 4 systems in the Minato Mirai region later this year. It then plans to gradually increase autonomous driving features based on consumer acceptance.
Later on, in 2025 and 2026, Nissan plans to begin service demonstration tests in Yokohama with a fleet of 20 vehicles that will still require human safety drivers to accompany them.
Nevertheless, the automaker only intends to introduce a small number of vehicles in three or four municipalities as part of its very limited commercial rollout plans for 2027.
As of right now, Nissan has not mentioned utilizing remote safety drivers or monitors in their 2027 Robotaxi debut in Japan. These devices have been a significant (though much less publicized) component of Level 4 Robotaxi operations in the US and have also been identified as one of the main financial obstacles to successful Nissan Robotaxi operations.
Nissan, like other ride-hailing services and automakers, will have to overcome the challenge of turning these kinds of ventures into profitable businesses. Up until now, solving the technological problems associated with Level 4 driving has proven to be less difficult than turning a profit.
Competing developers have essentially been waiting for sensor technology to get more affordable as software gets more dependable and less labor-intensive. It’s evident now, in early 2024, that in addition to other problems like fleet maintenance, the software component isn’t quite there yet to reduce the use of remote human monitors to a point where profitable operations can be expected in just a few years.
Ultimately, these corporations will be the owners of these vehicles, in contrast to gig drivers for ride-hailing services, who typically own or rent their own vehicles and manage their maintenance and fuel.
Nissan wouldn’t be the first carmaker to strive towards providing cars with Level 4 technology; Volkswagen and other manufacturers have also stated that they have high expectations for their own offerings this decade, expectations that have already experienced a few setbacks.
FAQ related to Nissan Robotaxi
What is Nissan Robotaxi launch date?
Nissan Robotaxi expected launch date on 2027.
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