Nissan Takes on Uber with Easy Ride Taxi Service

Nissan Motor Co. may soon break into a segment set dominated by Uber and other ride-sharing brands once Easy Ride--its own autonomous vehicle service--is available in the market. Japan's second biggest car brand plans to begin testing its driverless taxis along a fixed 4.3 km stretch of road in Japan on March 5, offering rides to passengers between the Nissan headquarters and the Yokohama World Porters shopping center.

Partnering with Tokyo-based mobile developer DeNA to produce its automated taxi service, Nissan admitted that the technology still has some kinks, and the cars would crash without human monitoring. In a recent demonstration for reporters, the app had trouble launching because of internet problems at Nissan headquarters. Even so, the tech is a direct challenge, if not an outright threat, to ride-sharing companies like Uber, as it tries to develop its own driverless taxi service.

Though the media releases feature NV200s, the very first Easy Ride vehicle will actually comprise of automated Nissan Leafs. Nevertheless, Nissan plans to use the tech in many of the cars in its lineup. Once testing begins on March 5, Nissan effectively becomes the first major automaker to test ride-hailing software developed in-house and using its own fleet.

Nissan's Easy Ride testing announcement comes at the heels of news from its automaking partners Renault and Mitsubishi that the troika will explore future cooperation with Chinese ride-sharing conglomerate Didi Chuxing.

"We realize that it's going to take time to become a service operator, but we want to enter into this segment by partnering with companies which are experts in the field," Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa told interviewers this month.

If the deal with Didi Chuxing pushes through, a broader agreement could be explored, which could involve Nissan providing its self-driving taxi to the Chinese ride-sharing service.

When Easy Ride launches in the early 2020s, Nissan wants it to feel less like a taxi and more like a concierge on wheels.