NISSAN AS UBER COMPETITOR

YOKOHAMA : With Easy Ride trial, Nissan takes new steps toward being Uber competitor.

Facing a future in which self-driving cars may curb vehicle ownership, Nissan Motor Co, is taking its first step to becoming an operator of autonomous transportation services-

Hoping to break into a segment set to be dominated by Uber technologies and other technology firms.

In partnership with Japanese mobile gaming platform operator DeNa Co, the automaker will begin public field tests of its Easy Ride service in Yokohama this 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.

Easy Ride, which Nissan plans to launch in Japan in the early 2020s, is meant to feel more like a concierge service on wheels, making for example - restaurant recommendations while the car is on the move.

The announcement follows an  agreement by Nissan and its automaking partners Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Carp earlier this month to explore future cooperation with Chinese transportation services conglomerate Didi Chuxing.

This move marks a push by the automaker to avoid becoming  the ''Foxconn of the auto industry'' : a mere vehicle supplier to ride - and car-sharing companies.

''We realize that it's going to take time to become a service operator, but we want to enter into this segment by partnership with companies which are experts in the field,'' Nissan chief executive, Hiroto Saikawa, told Reuters in an interview this month.