Observed Signal · Mar 11, 2026 · Testing · Source: TechCrunch · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Nuro Launches Autonomous Vehicle Testing in Tokyo Streets
Nuro has begun testing its autonomous driving software on public roads in Tokyo using Toyota Prius vehicles with human safety operators on board, marking the startup’s first overseas deployment. The company, which opened Tokyo offices in August, says Japan’s left‑side driving, dense traffic, and different road signs create unique challenges. Nuro describes its autonomy stack as an end‑to‑end AI foundation model enabling “zero‑shot autonomous driving,” claiming the software operated in Tokyo without prior training on Japanese driving data; it currently runs in shadow mode with manual oversight. Founded in 2016, Nuro shifted in 2024 from low‑speed delivery bots to licensing its software to automakers and mobility providers. The company has significant investor backing (including a $940M SoftBank investment in 2019 and $203M raised in 2025) and signaled plans for further international expansion.
Nuro’s first overseas public‑road testing and its claim of ‘zero‑shot’ AI driving are meaningful for global AV deployment and potential automaker partnerships, but the item is not a platform policy change or major regulatory decision.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Nuro began public‑road testing of its self‑driving software in Tokyo using Toyota Prius vehicles with human safety operators.
- This Tokyo program is Nuro’s first overseas expansion; the company opened offices in Tokyo in August 2025.
- Nuro’s autonomy stack is described as an end‑to‑end AI foundation model enabling “zero‑shot autonomous driving,” which the company says navigated Tokyo roads without prior Japanese driving data training.
- Nuro raised $203 million in a Series E in 2025 and previously received a $940 million investment from SoftBank Vision Fund in 2019.
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Nvidia Expands Self-Driving Partnerships with Major Automakers
Nvidia announced new partnerships with Hyundai Motor, Nissan Motor, Isuzu, BYD and Geely to adopt its Drive Hyperion autonomous-vehicle platform, the company said during its GTC developer conference on March 16, 2026. Drive Hyperion is part of Nvidia’s end-to-end AV stack that covers in-vehicle computing, data-center training and large-scale simulation and is intended to help automakers develop driver-assist and Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities. Nvidia highlighted existing Drive Hyperion customers including Aurora, Nuro, Sony Group, Uber, Stellantis and Lucid. The company framed these new tie-ups as evidence that capability for true autonomous driving is rapidly advancing, even as the article notes consumer cars remain largely Level 2 and commercial robotaxi deployments remain limited to a few operators such as Waymo.
Waymo Announces Expansion to Singapore, Tokyo, and Houston
Waymo announces its next chapter in global expansion: coming to Singapore. Also, opening doors to Tokyo riders in 2027 with Nihon Kotsu and GO, and launching fully autonomous rides in Houston to everyone.
Uber Launches Autonomous Solutions for Future Mobility
Uber has launched a new division called Uber Autonomous Solutions to provide end-to-end operational services for autonomous vehicle businesses — including robotaxis, self-driving trucks, and sidewalk delivery robots. The division, led by Sarfraz Maredia, will offer software and support services such as demand generation, rider experience, customer support, fleet management, mapping and training data, regulatory services, and fleet financing. Uber says it has partnerships with nearly two dozen AV companies, has invested in several AV firms and infrastructure (including $100 million for fast-charging stations), and will use a fleet of Lucid vehicles to gather data for partners. Uber aims to scale robotaxi deployments to more than 15 cities this year and plans a robotaxi service with Volkswagen in Los Angeles by the end of 2026 (not fully driverless until 2027).
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