Japan’s bZ4X trial: Waymo taps Toyota to supply robotaxis as U.K. option emerges | TechCrunch

Toyota builds Waymo vehicles

Toyota and Waymo announced the partnership on Friday. Toyota will manufacture 2027 bZ4X vehicles and integrate Waymo’s self-driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan. The vehicles will first be tested in Japan next year. Waymo hopes eventually to run a robotaxi service there. In North America, the electric vehicle is known as the BZ.

U.K. service remains permit-dependent

The companies intend to consider the vehicles for other countries where people drive on the right side of the road, including the U.K. Waymo has been testing autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London for months.

Waymo plans to launch a London robotaxi service after receiving the necessary permits. The Toyota partnership could help the company meet regional vehicle needs while expanding its robotaxi fleet.

Broader plans remain open

The agreement follows a preliminary deal signed by Toyota and Waymo 18 months earlier to explore an autonomous vehicle platform. The current arrangement appears focused on supplying vehicles, while discussions about broader uses continue.

The companies said they will explore adding Waymo technology to Toyota vehicles for personal use. They also plan to consider initiatives using insights from Waymo’s real-world operations to improve road safety, though they did not specify what those efforts would involve. Toyota executive vice president and board member Hiroki Nakajima said the collaboration could bring the technology to customers through Waymo’s ride-hailing service, while Toyota examines ways to make roads safer by connecting vehicles with traffic infrastructure.