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Waymo turns to Toyota for its robotaxi plans in Japan and the United Kingdom
Toyota is to manufacture bZ4X vehicles and integrate Waymo’s autonomous system at its Takaoka factory. The partnership targets testing in Japan and international deployments, while the London launch remains subject to obtaining the necessary approvals.
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Waymo and Toyota have announced a partnership to supply electric vehicles for robotaxis, TechCrunch reports. Toyota is to manufacture 2027 model-year bZ4X vehicles and integrate Waymo’s autonomous driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan. The vehicles are to be tested first in Japan, where Waymo subsequently hopes to operate a service.
The agreement also addresses the company’s international ambitions. The United Kingdom is among the target markets for these vehicles. Waymo is already testing autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London, according to TechCrunch, but launching a service remains conditional on obtaining the necessary permits. The announcement therefore does not confirm a commercial launch.
The partnership’s industrial significance lies in the announced division of tasks: Toyota supplies the vehicles and hosts the integration of the autonomous system at its factory. This arrangement could make it easier to adapt Waymo’s fleet to the markets concerned. On its own, however, it does not establish an improvement in safety or driving performance.
The companies also say they are continuing to examine integrating Waymo technology into privately owned Toyota vehicles. This possibility remains exploratory. The concrete component described in the announcement concerns robotaxi vehicles and their testing.