They join tech firms levera­ging automa­ted drivin­g techno­logy into new mobili­ty servic­esNissan Motor and Japanese gaming software maker DeNA said on Tuesday they would begin public tests of their self-driving ride-sharing service in Japan next year. The two companies join a growing number of global car makers and tech firms leveraging automated driving technology into new mobility services. The fast-growing “pay-per-ride” market is becoming a battleground between automakers, tech firms such as Alphabet and Uber and a barrage of start-ups as ride-sharing services threaten to hit demand for car ownership. In Japan, Nissan and DeNA will face competition from Japanese robotics maker ZMP, which is working with a Tokyo taxi operator to develop a self-driving taxi service it hopes to have up and running during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. DeNA has been trialing self-driving services across the country, including shuttle buses for elderly residents in rural communities which are struggling with fewer bus and taxi services as the country’s population ages and shrinks.

Source: The Express Tribune December 05, 2017 04:52 UTC