Toyota and Waymo plan Japan tests for autonomous bZ4X fleet in 2027
Toyota and Waymo plan to begin testing a fleet of autonomous Toyota bZ4X electric vehicles in Japan in 2027, building on a preliminary partnership agreed in April 2025. The project could help the companies expand their robotaxi work to the UK and other right-hand drive markets in the years that follow.
Toyota will build the vehicles at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, where they will also be fitted with Waymo’s autonomous driving hardware. The bZ4X fleet will join Waymo’s testing of Jaguar I-PACE taxis in Tokyo, where Nihon Kotsu drivers have helped train its software. Waymo plans to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Tokyo next year, but has not said when the bZ4X will join its commercial fleet.
In short
- Waymo and Toyota plan bZ4X robotaxi testing in Japan from 2027.
- Toyota will build and equip the vehicles at its Takaoka plant.
- The companies aim to expand to the UK and other right-hand drive markets.
Explained simply
Toyota is a Japanese car maker, while Waymo is a US company that develops self-driving technology and runs ride-hailing services. The bZ4X is Toyota’s electric SUV; autonomous vehicles use sensors and software to navigate, with varying levels of human oversight during testing and service.
Waymo has been testing self-driving cars in Tokyo with Nihon Kotsu, a Japanese taxi company whose drivers have helped train its software. The planned tests would add a Toyota model to that work and give the companies experience adapting the technology to Japanese roads.
The partnership matters because testing in Japan could inform whether the companies expand their robotaxi work to other markets where traffic keeps to the left, such as the UK. Testing does not by itself mean the vehicles are ready for public use or that a commercial service will follow.
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Originally published by Engadget as “Waymo and Toyota will soon start testing their robotaxis in Japan”.