UK-based Wayve tests self-driving tech in Tokyo with Nissan

Wayve tests new self-driving in Tokyo

The British startup Wayve has begun testing its latest self-driving technology in Japan, working with Nissan. They installed their special AI system into Nissan’s electric Ariya vehicles for trials on busy Tokyo streets. This is a big part of their plan to launch the technology to customers by Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27).

The testing deal with the carmaker, Nissan, was officially agreed upon in April of this year. These Ariya prototypes operate at SAE Level 2; drivers must remain attentive at all times and typically keep their hands on the wheel as instructed. This indicates that the London-based company is focused on achieving its 2027 goal for consumers.

Nissan’s next-gen ProPILOT hardware

The next-generation autonomous system from Nissan is ProPILOT, which uses Wayve’s AI Driver software. The test cars in Tokyo are specially equipped for this new level of driving assistance.

These prototype Nissan Ariya vehicles feature 11 cameras and 5 radar sensors to provide a 360-degree view around them. The cars also feature a crucial LiDAR sensor to help them measure distances with great accuracy, all working together for the planned FY27 launch.

Nvidia proposes $500 million investment

The chip-making company Nvidia has signed a Letter of Intent for a potential investment in Wayve’s next funding round. This potential investment involves a substantial amount of $500 million in a UK-based AI startup.

This investment builds on an existing partnership between the two companies, which began in 2018. This proposal was officially announced on September 18, 2025. This funding is intended to support Wayve’s ongoing growth and expansion into three key global markets.

Wayve’s total funding and big investors

Wayve has raised a considerable $1.32 billion from investors since its founding in 2017. This funding was completed over seven different funding rounds to support their AI development.

The company’s largest raise was a $1.05 billion Series C announced on May 7, 2024, led by SoftBank with participation from Microsoft and Nvidia. The Japanese investment company SoftBank Group led this major investment round, showing strong international support for the technology.

AI learns by watching driving video data

Wayve’s technology is known as “Embodied AI” and learns how to drive by processing vast amounts of video and driving data. This approach is superior to older systems that required programming with specific rules for every situation.

The AI system is specifically designed to interpret full traffic scenes and predict what will happen next, just like a human driver. Nvidia helps by providing the necessary computing power and chips to train the massive AI model in its data centers.

Founder’s goal and expansion plans

Wayve was founded in 2017 by Alex Kendall, who studied deep learning at the University of Cambridge before starting the company. He stated his long-term ambition for the startup is to build a “trillion-dollar company.”

The company’s funding is currently being used to expand its operations to three central international regions. Wayve is actively expanding its presence in the United States, Germany, and Japan, in addition to its original home base in London.

Nissan, Wayve’s first OEM partner

Nissan was the first large-scale vehicle manufacturer, an OEM, to publicly commit to commercially integrating Wayve’s AI Driver software. This partnership provided a primary approval and confidence boost for the British startup in the industry.

Before this deal, Nissan had already conducted independent self-driving technology trials in London. The partnership enables Nissan to integrate Wayve’s AI Driver software with its existing Ground Truth Perception technology for the planned FY27 launch.

Competition in the automation race

Wayve is in a fast-paced global race against major companies to prove its technology can be utilized by car manufacturers. Key competitors include Tesla, Google’s Waymo, and China’s Baidu in the autonomous vehicle sector.

The self-driving car market is expected to grow rapidly, with an estimated value of $2 trillion by 2030. This vast market value is driven by the rapid advances in AI and sensor technologies from companies like Wayve.

Nissan’s ProPILOT 2.0 hands-off system

Nissan’s most recent driver assistance is ProPILOT 2.0. This Level 2+ system launched in May 2019 on the Nissan Skyline sedan in the Japanese market.

It was the first system to allow the driver to take their hands off the wheel while cruising in a single lane on designated highways. The system uses a combination of cameras, radar, and highly detailed 3D high-definition maps.

ProPILOT 1.0 needed hands on the wheel

The company’s first major driver assistance system, ProPILOT 1.0, was launched in 2016 in Japan. This single-lane highway assist system controlled the speed, braking, and steering.

ProPILOT 1.0 made its debut on the Nissan Serena minivan in Japan. The system uses a single forward-facing camera and a radar sensor to keep the car centered in its lane and maintain a preset distance from the car ahead.

Expansion to ten global models

After starting in Japan, Nissan quickly made ProPILOT available to drivers in other markets. The technology made its official US debut in October 2017 on the 2018 Nissan Rogue crossover model.

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance planned to extend the ProPILOT technology to 10 different models worldwide by the end of 2020. This rapid expansion quickly brought the technology to millions of drivers globally.

Six features of Safety Shield 360

One step back from ProPILOT is Nissan’s key safety suite called Safety Shield 360. This package debuted on the 2019 Altima and Rogue models in the 2018 production year.

This system includes six main safety features that monitor the driver’s surroundings in a 360-degree area around the car. The features include an automatic emergency brake with pedestrian detection and a rear automatic brake to help prevent accidents.

The goal of zero fatalities was key

In the early 2010s, Nissan set a large goal for its vehicles: “Zero Emissions, Zero Fatalities.” The push for autonomous driving technology was the main way to achieve the zero fatalities part of the plan.

Nissan’s engineers believed that self-driving cars would follow the rules perfectly, significantly reducing the number of accidents. They based this goal on the fact that human error is the cause of more than 90% of all traffic crashes.

The first self-parking assist system

Before the Level 2 highway systems, Nissan first focused on automated parking. Nissan’s ProPILOT Park technology, which assists in steering the car into a parking space, was introduced in September 2017.

This parking technology debuted on the second generation of the Nissan LEAF electric vehicle. The system uses sensors and cameras to estimate the parking space and then takes control of the steering to maneuver the car successfully.

Electric LEAF provided the best platform

The launch of the Nissan LEAF electric car in 2010 marked a significant early step in its autonomous driving journey. The LEAF provided an early, stable platform for computer-controlled vehicle systems.

Electric vehicles are easier to control with computers than traditional cars because they use electric motors instead of complicated mechanical linkages. This foundation helped Nissan launch ProPILOT 1.0 just six years later, building on a strong electronic base.

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Two decades of sensing technology

The ProPILOT technology is backed by over two decades of Nissan’s development and research into safety and sensing technology. This long history ensures the current systems are built on tested hardware.

The core technology utilizes a radar sensor and a forward-facing camera to detect and respond to traffic and road conditions. This focus on basic sensing dates back to the 1990s, when simpler features, such as rearview cameras, were first introduced.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.