Nissan’s Smart Mobility field tests evolve into a public transportation service

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced the completion of its Namie Smart Mobility field test program in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, a project initiated in fiscal year 2020. The initiative was developed under a February 2021 partnership agreement involving Nissan, Namie Town, Futaba Town, and Minamisoma to address local transportation challenges and support recovery efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The field test focused on creating an on-demand mobility service tailored to community needs, with continuous improvements based on feedback from local residents.

From October 1, the service will transition into a public transportation program led by Namie Town, replacing the field test. The municipality will operate the service using systems and operational expertise developed during the trial, with Moplus Co., Ltd. providing support under a contract. The transition follows approval by the local public transportation council, marking a shift from experimental to permanent service delivery.

Namie Town currently operates two transportation services: an on-demand taxi service for residents and the Namie Smart Mobility service open to all users. Starting in October 2026, the town plans to integrate both services into a single, unified Namie Smart Mobility system to consolidate resources and improve efficiency, leveraging Nissan’s accumulated expertise in the region.

Nissan aims to expand such mobility services as part of local transportation infrastructure, using insights gained from Namie Town to develop tailored solutions for other communities. The company will continue promoting cross-sector field tests to address regional mobility needs, supporting the social implementation of locally adapted services.