Self-drive taxis will be tested in Japan next spring and could be on the roads by early 2020s.
Carmaker Nissan plans to test self-driving taxis on Japanese roads from March next year.
The company is partnering with Japanese software company DeNA, which operates online services for the gaming, healthcare and automotive industries.
It will adapt a Nissan Leaf electric car, which passengers will summon using an app.
Nissan joins a growing band of carmakers trialling self-drive cars, including General Motors and Volvo.
The free trials will be held over a two-week period in March in Yokohama.
The Easy Ride system could be launched in Japan in the early 2020s.
« With ‘more freedom of mobility’ as its concept, Easy Ride is envisioned as a service for anyone who wants to travel freely to their destination of choice in a robo-vehicle, » Nissan said in a statement.
« The goal is to allow customers to use a dedicated mobile app to complete the whole process, from setting destinations and summoning vehicles to paying the fare.
