Nissan runs Kobe self-driving ride pilot from 8 December, aims to charge in 2027

Nissan runs Kobe self-driving ride pilot from 8 December, aims to charge in 2027

14 October 2026: Nissan will run its fiscal 2026 autonomous mobility pilot in Kobe's Nada Gogo district, a sake-brewing area, from 8 to 18 December 2026, and has opened applications for residents and visitors who want to ride. It aims to start a paid service in 2027 and full commercial operation in the area by 2030.

Not yet independently verified. Nissan's release does not give the participant application deadline, fares or the number of vehicles; the vehicles are Level 2 with a safety driver, not driverless. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

How the pilot works

The service area is larger than in last year's field tests, and riders can now book and call a vehicle on demand from a smartphone. The vehicles are Nissan Serena-based development vans with Level 2 driving automation and a safety driver on board, running on weekdays, Tuesday to Friday, during the pilot period. Nissan says the aim is to confirm how autonomous transport can improve mobility for tourists and residents in the district.

The key test this year is centralised monitoring. Vehicles in both Yokohama and Kobe will be monitored in real time from Nissan's Remote Operations Center in Yokohama. Nissan says validating one centre that watches several operating areas is expected to make future mobility services more efficient to run.

Who is involved and who pays

The partners divide the work:

• Kobe City: project administration;
• Nada Gogo Sake Brewers Association: pick-up and drop-off points, and exploring links between the service and the breweries;
• Moplus Inc.: support for service operations;
• Nissan: planning, running the pilot and providing the vehicles.

The project is supported by Japan's Digital Agency, under its programme for early commercialisation of autonomous driving services, and by the transport ministry's subsidy programme for regional public transport.

What it shows about Japan's approach

Japan's route to robotaxis runs through local public transport: subsidised pilots in towns and districts where bus and taxi services are shrinking, staffed by safety drivers and moving towards remote supervision. For operators and suppliers, the remote operations centre is the part to watch, because a model in which one centre supervises many areas is what would make a paid service affordable. Nissan has a separate autonomous driving research project in the UK.

Sources

• Nissan: Nissan expands autonomous mobility service in Kobe (release 261014-01-e), 14 October 2026