Waymo picks Toyota bZ4X for Japan and U.K. robotaxis
Original: Waymo taps Toyota to supply robotaxis for Japan and the U.K.
Why This Matters
Waymo's first international vehicle deal signals a push beyond the U.S. market.
Waymo and Toyota announced Friday that Toyota will build 2027 bZ4X vehicles integrated with Waymo's self-driving system at its Takaoka factory, targeting robotaxi operations in Japan and the U.K.
Waymo will begin testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan in 2027, with the cars manufactured and fitted with Waymo's self-driving hardware at Toyota's Takaoka plant. The partnership targets right-hand-drive markets: Japan first, then the U.K., where Waymo has already been running Jaguar I-Pace test vehicles in London while awaiting regulatory permits to launch commercial service.
The deal formalizes what began as a vague preliminary agreement signed 18 months ago. At the time, analysts called it exploratory at best. The current arrangement looks more like a conventional vehicle supply contract—Toyota builds, Waymo autonomizes—than a deep technology co-development. Still, both companies left the door open for more: they cited plans to explore integrating Waymo's technology into personally owned Toyota vehicles and unnamed future "initiatives" using Waymo's operational data to improve road safety.
Toyota EVP Hiroki Nakajima hinted at the broader ambition, noting the collaboration could help "integrate vehicles with traffic infrastructure" to improve safety beyond the robotaxi context. The bZ4X (marketed as the BZ in North America) adds a new vehicle platform to Waymo's fleet, which has so far relied on the Jaguar I-Pace and the Zeekr-built fifth-generation Waymo One vehicle in the U.S.