Waymo and Toyota will test a driverless bZ4X fleet in Japan from 2027
Toyota will build the cars at its Takaoka plant, with Waymo's driving hardware fitted in the same factory.
In brief
Driverless Toyotas head to Japan in 2027
Toyota and Waymo will test an autonomous bZ4X fleet in Japan from 2027. Toyota builds the cars and fits Waymo's hardware in one plant. The UK and other markets follow later.
Toyota and Waymo announced the next step in their self-driving partnership: a fleet of autonomous Toyota bZ4X cars, to be tested and validated in Japan starting in 2027. The news comes from Waymo's own blog.
This builds on a preliminary agreement from April 2025. The companies say the plan leads to Japan's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service built on high-volume, domestically made vehicles.
Built in one place
Toyota will build the cars at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Everything happens under one roof, from assembling the base car to fitting Waymo's self-driving hardware.
What riders get
The bZ4X is customised for comfort and access. The source lists:
- generous rear legroom
- automatic doors
- a power liftgate
- ambient lighting
The goal is easy getting in and out. The companies also point to people who cannot easily get around today.
Beyond Japan
After Japan, the fleet is planned for the United Kingdom and other markets where Waymo operates, in the following years. The target is Level 4 vehicles, meaning cars that drive themselves in set conditions without a human taking over.
Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov said that where Waymo operates, it is up to 20x safer than human drivers for serious crash injuries. That is Waymo's own claim.
The two firms will also keep exploring self-driving tech for personally owned Toyota cars. With Woven by Toyota, they will look at ways Waymo's real-world data could make roads safer for other road users too.
Toyota's Hiroki Nakajima said that no single company can reach zero traffic accidents alone. Toyota will also explore linking vehicles with traffic infrastructure.
The limits are clear. This is the start of testing, not a launch, and 2027 is only when initial operations begin. The source gives no date for public rides, no fleet size and no prices. UK and other deployments are described only as planned for later years. The safety figure comes from Waymo, with no independent check in the source.
Source: Waymo Blog