The initiative will begin with autonomous vehicle testing in Japan next year before expanding services to other regions like the United Kingdom. Toyota will integrate Waymo's self-driving technology into its 2027 bZ4X electric vehicles directly at its Takaoka manufacturing facility. In London, Waymo has already spent months testing Jaguar I-Pace vehicles while awaiting the regulatory permits required to launch commercial operations. Looking ahead, both companies are also exploring opportunities to introduce autonomous capabilities into personally owned consumer vehicles.
Key points
The partnership expands Waymo's self-driving technology into major right-hand drive inter…: The partnership expands Waymo's self-driving technology into major right-hand drive international markets including the United Kingdom.
Commercial launch in London remains contingent on Waymo securing the necessary local regu…: Commercial launch in London remains contingent on Waymo securing the necessary local regulatory operating permits.
Both companies are investigating ways to integrate self-driving systems into personally o…: Both companies are investigating ways to integrate self-driving systems into personally owned vehicles and traffic infrastructure.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Waymo will begin testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year as part of a broader partnership with the automaker to provide electric vehicles for robotaxi operations in international markets, including the U.K.
Under the 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 now known as the BZ in the North American market)
The autonomous bZ4X vehicles will initially be tested in Japan, where Waymo intends to eventually operate a robotaxi service. But the intent is to deploy these vehicles in other right-hand driving countries such as the U.K. Waymo has been testing its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London for months and plans to launch a robotaxi service there once it receives the necessary permits.
The announcement comes 18 months after Toyota and Waymo signed a preliminary agreement to explore the development and deployment of an autonomous vehicle platform. At the time, the agreement fell into the “let’s see what happens” category, with language vague enough to leave plenty of room…
The strategic partnership builds on a collaborative framework established in April 2025 to commercialize driverless technology at a global scale. Equipping production-ready electric vehicles at an established domestic assembly plant allows both companies to validate platform performance before scaling internationally. The alliance targets key right-hand-drive territories initially to refine operational expertise ahead of entering broader foreign markets.
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