Toyota and Waymo are taking a major step toward commercializing robotaxis in Japan as the two companies deepen their collaboration on fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicles. The partnership brings together Toyota’s automotive engineering with Waymo’s autonomous driving technology, positioning the project as one of the most high-profile efforts to bring driverless taxis to one of the world’s busiest and most complex urban markets.
After first announcing their partnership earlier in the year, Toyota and Waymo have now begun testing the Toyota bZ4X at the Takaoka plant in Toyota City. As part of the process, the electric SUVs are being equipped with Waymo’s autonomous driving hardware and software systems. Once the vehicles complete all required validations and receive Level 4 autonomous driving approval, the companies plan to begin offering driverless bZ4X taxis in Japan as early as 2027.
Following the Japan rollout, Toyota and Waymo intend to expand the service internationally, starting with other right-hand-drive markets such as the United Kingdom. This strategy makes sense because vehicle design, traffic behavior, and local regulations can differ significantly across regions, meaning that autonomous systems may need to be adapted for each new market.
Waymo has already been testing autonomous vehicles in Tokyo, using Jaguar I-Pace cars driven by taxi drivers from Nihon Kotsu Co. to gather real-world data and train its AI systems. While the company is expected to launch its first Tokyo fleet next year, it remains unclear when the bZ4X-based robotaxis will be added to the existing service.
