Waymo and Toyota Team Up to Test Autonomous bZ4X Vehicles in Japan and Expand Global Robotaxi Footprint

October 30, 2026
By Kirsten Korosec

Autonomous vehicle leader Waymo is preparing to take its next major step toward international expansion. The company announced Friday that it will begin testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year. This initiative forms the cornerstone of a broader partnership with the legendary Japanese automaker to supply electric vehicles specifically tailored for robotaxi operations across international markets, including the United Kingdom.

Under the terms of the newly formalized partnership, Toyota will manufacture the 2027 bZ4X vehicles at its Takaoka factory in Japan and directly integrate Waymo’s proprietary self-driving hardware and software system onto the assembly line. For consumers in the North American market, this electric vehicle model is sold under the simplified name "BZ," but the manufacturing and autonomous integration process will begin in earnest on Japanese soil to support upcoming international trials.

The collaborative effort will see these autonomous bZ4X vehicles initially tested extensively within Japan. Waymo ultimately intends to establish and operate a commercial robotaxi service in the country once regulatory pathways are fully cleared. However, the strategic vision extends beyond Japanese borders. The companies plan to deploy these right-hand drive vehicles into other global markets that drive on the left side of the road, most notably the U.K.

Waymo is no stranger to the British capital. The company has already spent several months testing its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles on the streets of London. Those trials are part of a methodical approach designed to pave the way for a commercial London robotaxi service, which will formally launch as soon as Waymo secures the necessary local permits and regulatory approvals from UK authorities.

This major milestone arrives roughly a year and a half after Toyota and Waymo initially signed a preliminary agreement in April 2025. That early pact was designed to explore the potential development and deployment of a shared autonomous vehicle platform. At the time of the announcement, the agreement was widely viewed as tentative—falling squarely into the "let’s see what happens" category. The language used in the preliminary framework was intentionally broad and vague, leaving ample room for interpretation as both engineering teams evaluated the feasibility of a joint hardware and software ecosystem.

Today, the partnership has evolved into something much more concrete. For now, the arrangement closely resembles a conventional automotive supplier agreement. It provides Waymo with a reliable, high-volume manufacturing partner to help fill specific regional needs, while simultaneously adding a crucial new electric vehicle model to its expanding global robotaxi portfolio.

Yet, both corporate partners acknowledge that the scope of the collaboration could eventually stretch far beyond commercial ride-hailing fleets. Representatives from both companies noted that they will continue to evaluate opportunities to bring Waymo’s advanced autonomous driving technology directly to personally owned Toyota passenger vehicles in the future.

In addition to fleet expansion and potential consumer vehicle integration, Toyota and Waymo revealed plans to explore other collaborative initiatives. These future projects aim to leverage valuable insights gathered from Waymo’s extensive real-world autonomous operations to improve overall safety for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and human drivers.

While the exact mechanics of these future safety initiatives remain to be fully detailed, Hiroki Nakajima, executive vice president of Toyota and a member of the board, offered some clarifying perspective during the announcement.

"This collaboration will help scale that technology and bring it to customers in Japan and beyond through Waymo’s ride-hailing service, and in parallel, Toyota will continue to explore how integrating vehicles with traffic infrastructure can make those roads safer still," Nakajima said in a statement.