Tokyo: Toyota Motor Corporation and autonomous driving technology company Waymo are expanding their partnership to advance self-driving vehicles, with plans to begin testing an autonomous Toyota bZ4X fleet in Japan in 2027.
The initiative builds on a preliminary agreement announced in April 2025 and aims to accelerate the development and global deployment of safer, fully autonomous vehicles. Following the initial testing phase in Japan, the companies plan to expand operations to the United Kingdom and other markets where Waymo operates in the coming years.
Toyota will manufacture the vehicles at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The facility will handle the entire production process, from assembling the base vehicles to installing Waymo’s autonomous driving hardware.
The collaboration combines Toyota’s vehicle development and large-scale manufacturing capabilities with Waymo’s autonomous driving technology to expand the availability of Level 4 self-driving vehicles.
The companies aim to reduce accidents caused by human error and improve mobility for people who face challenges accessing conventional transport.
The specially equipped bZ4X vehicles will also feature improvements focused on passenger comfort and accessibility. These include spacious rear seating, automatic doors, a power liftgate and ambient lighting to make entering and leaving the vehicle easier.
Beyond ride-hailing services, Toyota and Waymo will explore opportunities to introduce autonomous driving technology into privately owned Toyota vehicles. Working alongside Woven by Toyota, they will also examine how data and insights gathered from Waymo’s real-world operations can contribute to wider road safety improvements.
Dmitri Dolgov, co-CEO of Waymo, stated that the partnership reflects the companies’ shared commitment to reducing road accidents and making transport safer.
Dolgov highlighted Toyota’s reputation for safety, reliability and quality, adding that the collaboration would help extend autonomous mobility to more people, including in international markets such as Japan.
Hiroki Nakajima, Toyota board member and executive vice president, welcomed the partnership, noting that safety technologies can have a greater impact when made accessible to a wider population.
Nakajima added that the collaboration would support the introduction of autonomous ride-hailing services in Japan and other markets, while Toyota continues exploring ways to improve road safety through better integration between vehicles and traffic infrastructure.
The partnership marks another step towards expanding fully autonomous mobility beyond existing markets, with both companies aiming to make self-driving technology safer, more accessible, and available to a wider range of passengers.
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