Nissan and Toyota roll into metaverse with virtual experiences

Nissan Motor and Toyota Motor have put their own spin on the metaverse with virtual showroom and office spaces.

Nissan has created a virtual-reality version of its Nissan Crossing gallery in Tokyo's upscale Ginza district, using a platform of U.S. startup VRChat.

The VR space features the new Ariya electric vehicle. Select visitors joined a virtual world tour. The showroom can host vehicle launches and other events.

Toyota has a metaverse-style virtual workspace for some departments and subsidiaries. Employee avatars walk around an office setting, take part in meetings, and chat with one another.

At the parent company, the virtual workplace is being used by the technical development and human resources teams and may expand further.

"With more people working from home because of the coronavirus, we are providing young employees and others communication options within the company," a representative said.

Outside Japan, German automakers Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz Group are making use of metaverse tech.