10:56 22-09-2025

Nissan tests Wayve AI urban driver assistance on Ariya EVs

Nissan has begun testing a new driver-assistance system built on technology from the UK startup Wayve. The demonstration took place in Tokyo using Nissan Ariya electric crossovers equipped with collision-avoidance functions and support features designed for dense city traffic.

Unlike highway driving, urban streets present a tougher puzzle for electronic assistants: pedestrians, parked cars, couriers, and constant unpredictability. To handle that mix, the prototypes pack 11 cameras, five radars, and a single lidar. The setup delivers Level 2 autonomy, meaning the driver must keep hands on the wheel and be ready to take control at any moment — a sensible ceiling for public-road testing.

Wayve, which counts SoftBank and Nvidia among its investors, recently opened a development center in Japan. The startup’s technology relies on AI that can adapt to new road conditions without lengthy manual tuning — exactly the kind of flexibility city driving tends to reward.

Nissan already has history in this space: ProPilot arrived in 2016, followed by a second-generation version for highways in 2019. The company is now moving toward more advanced, city-focused solutions, a natural evolution from lane-centric assistance to the stop‑and‑go reality of urban streets.

The company has not yet said which models will receive the new system, but an official launch in Japan is planned for the 2027 fiscal year, suggesting a measured path from trials to production.