Nissan Advances Self-Driving Technology Amid Company Turnaround Efforts
Tokyo, September 21, 2025 — Japanese automaker Nissan is accelerating its development of self-driving vehicles in a strategic move to revitalize its struggling business. The initiative highlights Nissan’s commitment to innovation in the highly competitive autonomous vehicle market.
Recently, Nissan demonstrated its latest self-driving system, developed in collaboration with British company Wayve. During a test run in downtown Tokyo, a Nissan Ariya sedan equipped with 11 cameras, five radar units, and cutting-edge LiDAR sensors successfully navigated complex urban environments. The vehicle responded appropriately to traffic signals, pedestrians, and other vehicles at intersections, showcasing advanced capabilities enabled by artificial intelligence.
Nissan aims to introduce this self-driving technology to the market by 2027. However, the company has yet to disclose which specific models will feature these autonomous systems or provide further details on availability.
The self-driving car sector is rapidly expanding, with market researcher IndustryARC projecting it could reach a valuation of $2 trillion worldwide by 2030. This growth is driven by significant progress in AI, sensor technology, and data processing.
Nissan faces stiff competition from notable players in the Japanese market and globally. Toyota, Japan’s largest automaker, has partnered with Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google, which is conducting pilot projects in collaboration with a local taxi company in Japan. Other automakers such as Honda, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz, along with technology companies like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox, are also actively developing autonomous vehicle technologies.
Nissan’s renewed focus on self-driving vehicles coincides with a challenging period for the company and the broader Japanese automotive industry. The automaker is grappling with the impacts of tariffs imposed by the United States under the Trump administration. Nissan has reported financial losses in recent quarters and is implementing cost-cutting measures, including job reductions. Additionally, the company has appointed Ivan Espinosa as its new CEO to lead efforts to reverse its fortunes.
The company’s lineup includes popular models such as the Nissan March subcompact, the Leaf electric vehicle, and the Infiniti luxury brand. Despite these well-known products, Nissan has struggled financially in the past fiscal year, emphasizing the urgency of strategic innovation like autonomous driving technology.
As Nissan continues to develop and eventually deploy its self-driving systems, the automotive industry and consumers alike will be watching closely to see how the technology integrates with the evolving landscape of smart mobility solutions.
Reporting by Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press
