Toyota and Waymo will begin testing a fleet of autonomous bZ4X electric SUVs in Japan in 2027, marking a new phase in their collaboration to develop fully driverless vehicles.
The specially equipped bZ4X will be manufactured at Toyota’s Takaoka plant in Aichi Prefecture, where Waymo’s autonomous driving hardware will be integrated directly into the production process.
This approach allows Toyota to assemble the vehicles and install the self-driving equipment at the same facility, rather than modifying completed vehicles elsewhere.
The project targets Level 4 autonomous driving, which allows a vehicle to operate without human intervention within specified conditions.
Initial operations in Japan will focus on testing and validating the technology, ahead of a planned commercial robotaxi service. Toyota and Waymo also intend to introduce the vehicles in the United Kingdom and other markets served by Waymo in subsequent years.
The companies first announced their intention to collaborate in April 2025, when they outlined plans to combine Toyota’s vehicle engineering capabilities with Waymo’s autonomous driving technology.
The modified bZ4X will feature automatic doors, a powered tailgate, ambient interior lighting and additional rear passenger legroom to accommodate ride-hailing customers.
Beyond robotaxis, Toyota and Waymo are exploring ways to apply autonomous driving technology to privately owned Toyota vehicles.
Woven by Toyota, the carmaker’s mobility technology subsidiary, is also participating in discussions on using data and experience from Waymo’s driverless operations to improve road safety.
Toyota executive vice-president Hiroki Nakajima said the collaboration would help extend autonomous driving technology to more customers while supporting the company’s efforts to reduce traffic accidents.
The programme represents a move towards factory-built autonomous EVs, with Toyota taking responsibility for vehicle production and Waymo providing the driverless technology.
