Toyota builds Waymo's bZ4X robotaxi in Japan from 2027
Toyota will assemble the cars and fit Waymo's self-driving hardware itself at its Takaoka plant. Other Waymo markets follow in later years, while its London tests still run on left-hand-drive Jaguars with specialists on board
- Testing and validation of the autonomous bZ4X fleet begins in Japan in 2027
- Toyota builds the cars and fits Waymo's hardware at its Takaoka plant in Aichi Prefecture
- The deal follows a preliminary agreement between the two companies in April 2025
- The custom bZ4X has automatic doors, a power liftgate and extra rear legroom for riders
- Waymo's London test fleet is about 100 Jaguar I-Pace cars with safety operators on board
Fitting Waymo's hardware at the plant that builds the car ties the size of its future fleets to Toyota's output rather than to a conversion program, which is what lets a service in a new market grow once it has approval.
For companies that book ground travel in London, the Toyota is years away and Waymo has named no other car for the city, so whatever it launches there first is likely to be the Jaguars it is already testing.
“Safety technology makes the biggest difference when it reaches as many people as possible. This collaboration will help scale that technology and bring it to customers in Japan and beyond through Waymo's ride-hailing service”Hiroki Nakajima, executive vice-president and member of the board of directors, Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota and Waymo said on 30 October that they will start testing and validating a fleet of autonomous Toyota bZ4X cars in Japan in 2027, with Toyota building the vehicles and integrating Waymo's autonomous driving hardware at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.
The announcement builds on a preliminary agreement signed in April 2025 and gives Waymo a car built for the job by its maker. Waymo's current fleet, listed on its press page, is the Jaguar I-Pace carrying its fifth-generation hardware and the Ojai, with a Hyundai Ioniq 5 version in development. The companies say the bZ4X will underpin the first fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Japan to run on mass-produced cars built in the country.
Japan first, other markets later
Deployment “to the United Kingdom and other Waymo-serviced markets” is planned for the years after the Japan launch, the companies said. Waymo has been testing in London since April 2026 with about 100 Jaguar I-Pace cars carrying safety operators across roughly 100 square miles, as TechCrunch reported at the time. Those cars are left-hand drive, built for its US operations, and Waymo says it is not yet offering commercial rides in London and will launch once it has the permissions it needs.
Waymo says its own data shows it is up to 20 times safer than human drivers on serious-injury crashes in the areas where it operates. The companies will also look at autonomous driving for Toyota vehicles that customers own, and, with Woven by Toyota, at how data from Waymo's operations could improve safety for other road users.
Sources
- Toyota (GB), “Toyota and Waymo advance autonomous driving collaboration for safer streets and freedom of movement for all”, press release, 30 October 2026. https://media.toyota.co.uk/toyota-and-waymo-advance-autonomous-driving-collaboration-for-safer-streets-and-freedom-of-movement-for-all/
- Waymo, “Toyota and Waymo Advance Autonomous Driving Collaboration for Safer Streets and Freedom of Movement for All”, blog post, 30 October 2026. https://waymo.com/blog/2026/10/toyota-bz4x-partnership
- TechCrunch, “Waymo taps Toyota to supply robotaxis for Japan and the U.K.”, Kirsten Korosec, 30 October 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/30/waymos-next-robotaxi-will-be-a-toyota-bz4x-destined-for-japan-and-the-uk/
- TechCrunch, “London gets closer to its first robotaxi service as Waymo begins testing”, 14 April 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/14/london-gets-closer-to-its-first-robotaxi-service-as-waymo-begins-testing/
- Waymo, “Waymo in the UK”, company page, accessed 30 October 2026. https://waymo.com/waymo-in-uk/
- Waymo, “Press resources”, media page, accessed 30 October 2026. https://waymo.com/press
