Waymo will begin testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year, under a partnership announced Friday. Toyota will manufacture the 2027 bZ4X vehicles and integrate Waymo's self-driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan. The electric vehicle is known as the BZ in the North American market.
The vehicles will first be tested in Japan, where Waymo intends to eventually run a robotaxi service. The companies intend to deploy the vehicles in other right-hand driving countries, including the U.K., according to the report. Waymo has tested its Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London for months and plans to launch a robotaxi service there once it receives the necessary permits.
The report says the agreement follows a preliminary deal signed 18 months earlier to explore an autonomous vehicle platform. The companies also said they will continue to look at bringing Waymo's technology to personally owned Toyota vehicles. They plan further "initiatives" that would use insights from Waymo's real-world operations to improve road safety. Hiroki Nakajima, executive vice president of Toyota, said in a statement that the collaboration will bring the technology to customers in Japan and beyond through Waymo's ride-hailing service. He said Toyota will also explore how integrating vehicles with traffic infrastructure can make roads safer. The report does not specify what those initiatives will involve.