As another potential Uber competitor, Nissan is getting into the
driverless taxi business and plans a field test of a robo-vehicle.
In partnership with DeNA Co., Nissan is launching a service called Easy Ride starting on March 5, according to an
announcement by Nissan.
During the test in Yokohama, Japan, passengers can travel in vehicles equipped with autonomous driving technology along a set route.
Through a mobile app,
passengers can choose from a list of recommended destinations and download discount coupons from retailers and restaurants in the area.
The venture, announced by Ogi Redzic, alliance senior
vice president, connected vehicles and mobility services, aims to develop service designs for driverless environments, expanded service routes, vehicle distribution logic, pick-up and drop-off
processes and multilingual support.
A company video shows passengers hailing a car by phone, a car arriving, opening the door and once inside, the passengers interact with a screen in the back
seat, with no driver in the vehicle.
Last week, Sony announced its own plan for ride-hailing service using artificial intelligence to manage demand.