Waymo taps Toyota for robotaxis in Japan and the U.K.

Waymo will test autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year under a broader partnership to supply electric vehicles for robotaxi operations in international markets, including the U.K., TechCrunch reports. The article is by Kirsten Korosec.

Toyota will manufacture the 2027 bZ4X vehicles and integrate Waymo’s self-driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan. The vehicles will initially be tested there, where Waymo eventually intends to operate a robotaxi service. The companies also point to other right-hand-driving markets such as the U.K.

Waymo has been testing autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London for months and plans to launch a robotaxi service there once it receives the necessary permits. The announcement follows a preliminary Toyota-Waymo agreement signed 18 months ago to explore developing and deploying an autonomous vehicle platform.

The companies say they will continue to examine bringing Waymo’s autonomous technology to personally owned Toyota vehicles. They also plan to consider other initiatives drawing on insights from Waymo’s real-world operations to improve safety for other road users. What those initiatives would involve is unclear. Toyota executive vice president and board member Hiroki Nakajima said the collaboration could bring the technology to customers in Japan and beyond through Waymo’s ride-hailing service, while Toyota explores how integrating vehicles with traffic infrastructure could make roads safer.