Waymo taps Toyota to supply robotaxis for Japan and the UK

Waymo will begin testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year as part of a partnership to supply robotaxi operations in international markets, including the U.K. Toyota will manufacture the 2027 bZ4X vehicles and integrate Waymo’s self-driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan. The autonomous bZ4X vehicles will initially be tested in Japan, where Waymo intends to eventually operate a robotaxi service, but the intent is to deploy these vehicles in other right-hand driving countries such as the U.K. The partnership comes 18 months after Toyota and Waymo signed a preliminary agreement to explore the development and deployment of an autonomous vehicle platform. The companies said they will continue to look at bringing Waymo’s autonomous technology to personally owned Toyota vehicles.

• The partnership is seen as a conventional vehicle supplier deal that helps Waymo fill specific regional needs while adding a new model to its robotaxi portfolio.
• Waymo has been testing its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London for months and plans to launch a robotaxi service there once it receives the necessary permits.
• The collaboration will help scale that technology and bring it to customers in Japan and beyond through Waymo’s ride-hailing service, and in parallel, Toyota will continue to explore how integrating vehicles with traffic infrastructure can make those roads safer still.

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