Nissan Easy Ride field test

Nissan Motor Co is taking its first steps to becoming an operator of autonomous vehicle services, hoping to break into a segment set to be dominated by Uber [UBER.UL] and other technology firms. While automakers for more than a century have based their business models on individual car ownership, Japan’s No.2 automaker and its rivals are now preparing for a future in which self-driving cars are anticipated to curb vehicle ownership.

In partnership with Japanese mobile gaming platform operator DeNA Co, Nissan will begin public field tests of its Easy Ride service in Yokohama next month, becoming among the first major automakers anywhere to test ride-hailing software developed in-house, using its own fleet of self-driving electric cars.