The key facts

  • Toyota will produce the 2027 bZ4X and install the Waymo system at its Takaoka plant in Japan
  • Testing of the autonomous bZ4X will begin in Japan next year, followed by left-hand-traffic markets, including the United Kingdom
  • The agreement builds on a preliminary deal the companies signed 18 months ago

From a preliminary agreement to a concrete contract

Waymo and Toyota have announced a partnership under which Toyota will produce the 2027 bZ4X electric vehicles and integrate Waymo's autonomous driving system into them at its Takaoka plant in Japan. This was reported by TechCrunch. The new agreement builds on the preliminary deal the companies signed 18 months ago to explore the development and deployment of an autonomous platform: the wording back then was rather vague, whereas now the deal looks more like a standard contract with a vehicle supplier that addresses Waymo's regional needs and adds a new model to its robotaxi fleet.

Japan first, then other left-hand-traffic countries

Testing of the autonomous bZ4X will begin in Japan next year; in the future, Waymo intends to launch a robotaxi service there. The goal is to use these vehicles in other left-hand-traffic countries as well, primarily the United Kingdom, where Waymo has been testing autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles for several months and plans to launch the service once it receives the necessary permits.

What else the companies are discussing

The partnership may extend beyond robotaxis: the companies stated that they will continue to explore integrating Waymo's technology into Toyota's personal vehicles. The parties also plan to consider other initiatives using data from Waymo's real-world operations to improve the safety of other road users. Specifics have not yet been disclosed, but Toyota's executive vice president and board member Hiroki Nakajima noted that Toyota will, in parallel, continue researching how integrating vehicles with road infrastructure could further improve road safety.