THE ESSENTIALS IN 30 SECONDS

  • Toyota will manufacture the 2027 bZ4X electric SUV and integrate Waymo's autonomous driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan.
  • Waymo plans to start testing the vehicle in Japan in 2027 and intends to use it in other right-hand-drive countries, including the UK.
  • The deal builds on a preliminary agreement signed in April 2025; Waymo's planned 2027 Tokyo launch currently relies on about 100 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles.

Waymo has chosen a Toyota vehicle as the next platform for its driverless taxis outside the United States. According to TechCrunch, Toyota will build the 2027 version of its bZ4X electric SUV, sold as the BZ in North America, and fit it with Waymo's self-driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan.

What the two companies agreed

Waymo intends to begin testing the autonomous bZ4X in Japan next year, with the long-term goal of operating a robotaxi service there. The companies also plan to use the vehicle in other right-hand-drive countries, and the UK is the example they give. The agreement extends a preliminary deal signed in April 2025, under which the two firms said they would explore a shared autonomous vehicle platform. They say they will keep studying how Waymo's technology could reach privately owned Toyota cars, along with other safety projects drawing on Waymo's operating experience.

Hiroki Nakajima, a Toyota executive, said the collaboration should help scale the technology for customers in Japan and beyond. The announcement does not say how many vehicles are involved or when they would carry paying passengers.

Where Waymo stands in Japan and the UK

In September, Waymo, the taxi app Go and the operator Nihon Kotsu announced plans for a commercial driverless taxi service in Tokyo in 2027, using about 100 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, Automotive World reported. No launch date has been set: it depends on approval from national and local authorities. Under Japanese law a licensed taxi operator must carry passengers, so Nihon Kotsu would hold legal responsibility for accidents during driverless operation. Waymo has been mapping and testing in central Tokyo since 2025.

In London, Waymo has been testing Jaguar I-Pace vehicles for months and says it will launch a service once it has the required permits.

Why it matters

A purpose-built right-hand-drive vehicle from a large Japanese manufacturer gives Waymo a supply option suited to markets where its current fleet was designed for the other side of the road. The schedule, however, still hinges on regulators in each country, and the bZ4X will only begin testing in 2027.