Nissan hands Namie Smart Mobility field test to Namie Town as public transit service
Nissan has completed its Namie Smart Mobility field test in Fukushima Prefecture, and from October 1 the town of Namie will run the on-demand service as public transportation.
- Fiscal year 2020
- February 2021
- End of September 2026
- October 1, 2026
What Happened
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced the completion of its Namie Smart Mobility field test program, a major milestone for the on-demand mobility service that has been developed and tested in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, since fiscal year 2020. Beginning October 1, Namie Town will operate the program as a public transportation service. The initiative was established under the February 2021 Hamadori Region Mobility Partnership Agreement, a joint community development project between Nissan, Namie Town, Futaba Town and Minamisoma. Nissan developed and tested the service as part of efforts to support regional recovery following the Great East Japan Earthquake and to address local transportation challenges.
Nissan begins developing and testing the Smart Mobility service in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture.
The Hamadori Region Mobility Partnership Agreement is established between Nissan, Namie Town, Futaba Town and Minamisoma.
The field test program concludes, following agreement by the local public transportation council.
Namie Town begins operating the program as a public transportation service.
- Developing intuitive and user-friendly interfaces based on customer feedback
- Launching the 'SumaMobi Kids' program to support children's mobility needs
- Introducing mini digital bus stops to enhance local accessibility
- Developing a vehicle dispatch system utilizing QR codes
- Currently available exclusively to Namie residents
- Currently available to all users
- From October 2026, combines both services to consolidate operational resources and improve efficiency
“Within Namie Town, there are two transportation services that are currently operational: the on-demand taxi service available exclusively to Namie residents, and Namie Smart Mobility, which is available to all users. Starting in October 2026, we will launch a new integrated version of Namie Smart Mobility that combines both these services to consolidate operational resources and improve efficiency, drawing on the knowledge and expertise accumulated by Nissan through its activities in the town. We will keep building reliable and eco-friendly public transit to support our rebuilding goals: creating a community where people want to live and relocate.”
Under the new arrangement, Moplus Co., Ltd. will support service operations under a contract with Namie Town, drawing on the systems, operational knowledge and community engagement expertise developed during the field test. Nissan said it aims to create new mobility services as part of transportation infrastructure supporting local communities and regional activities. In the future, the company plans to continue promoting cross-sector field test programs to address specific regional needs, using the knowledge and experience gained to support the social implementation of locally tailored mobility services.
Why this matters
The handover shows how a carmaker's experimental on-demand mobility service can graduate into permanent local transport infrastructure, with the municipality taking the lead and Moplus contracted to support operations. It directly affects Namie residents, whose two separate on-demand services are being combined into one, and it signals Nissan's plan to keep running regional field tests.
Terms in This Story
- on-demand mobility service
- A transport service whose vehicles run in response to user requests rather than on a fixed timetable.
- field test
- A trial of a product or service in real-world conditions with actual users before it is made permanent or commercial.
- public transportation service
- A transport service operated for the general public, typically under a local government or public authority.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.