- Toyota and Waymo expand autonomous driving partnership.
- Autonomous bZ4X fleet testing in Japan from 2027.
- Vehicles built at Takaoka plant, Toyota City.
- Level 4 autonomous ride-hailing vehicles planned.
- UK deployment planned in following years.
Waymo and Toyota Motor Corporation have announced the next phase of their autonomous driving collaboration, building on a preliminary agreement first made public in April 2025. The work centres on a custom-outfitted Toyota bZ4X fitted with Waymo’s fully autonomous technology for use in ride-hailing.
Initial operations to test and validate the autonomous fleet will begin in Japan in 2027. The companies describe the project as an expansion of Japan’s first fully autonomous ride-hailing service using high-volume, domestically manufactured vehicles.
Toyota bZ4X built at Takaoka plant
Production will take place at Toyota’s Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The entire process happens under one roof, from assembling the base vehicle to integrating Waymo’s AV hardware. Toyota brings its manufacturing and vehicle development experience, while Waymo supplies the driving system, with the aim of scaling safety-validated Level 4 autonomous vehicles globally.
Interior and accessibility of the bZ4X
Comfort and access for riders were part of the brief. The SUV offers generous rear legroom, and features such as automatic doors, a power liftgate and ambient lighting are intended to make getting in and out easier, particularly for people who cannot easily get around.
Safety goals and personally owned vehicles
Both firms will continue to explore autonomous driving technology for personally owned Toyota vehicles. Alongside Woven by Toyota, they will also look at how insights from Waymo’s real-world operations, data-driven intelligence and technology could improve safety for other road users.
Dmitri Dolgov, co-CEO of Waymo, said that in areas where it operates, Waymo has shown it is “up to 20x safer than human drivers when it comes to serious crash injuries”. Hiroki Nakajima, executive vice president of Toyota, added: “No single company can achieve the goal of zero traffic accidents alone, but with partners like Waymo, we will get there one step at a time.”
Plans for the United Kingdom
Following the testing phase in Japan, deployment of the autonomous bZ4X to the United Kingdom and other Waymo-serviced markets is planned for the following years. No pricing or specific launch dates for the United Kingdom have been given.
Supplied by Newspress UK (Toyota)
This story is based on aggregated news, press release(s) or other sources and was prepared with the help of AI tools, which can make mistakes. Prices, specifications, general information and availability may change, so confirm the details with the manufacturer, other news sources or a dealer.
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