Waymo Picks Toyota bZ4X as Its Next Robotaxi

Waymo will start testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year. The plan is part of a wider partnership under which Toyota will supply electric vehicles for Waymo's robotaxi operations in markets outside the United States, including the U.K.

The two companies announced the deal on Friday. Toyota will build the 2027 bZ4X and fit it with Waymo's self-driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan. In North America, the electric vehicle is now sold as the bZ.

Japan first, then right-hand-drive markets

The autonomous bZ4X cars will be tested in Japan at the start. Waymo intends to run a robotaxi service there eventually.

The aim is also to put these vehicles on the road in other countries where traffic drives on the left, such as the U.K. Waymo has been testing autonomous Jaguar I-Pace cars in London for months. It plans to launch a robotaxi service in the city once it gets the permits it needs.

The announcement comes 18 months after Toyota and Waymo signed a preliminary agreement to explore building and deploying an autonomous vehicle platform.

Beyond robotaxis

The companies said they will keep looking at ways to bring Waymo's autonomous technology to Toyota vehicles owned by individuals.

They also plan to study other future initiatives that would draw on insights from Waymo's real-world operations to improve safety for other road users. Hiroki Nakajima, an executive vice president and board member at Toyota, spoke about the idea in a statement.

"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."

What the additional safety initiatives would involve has not been spelled out.

Source: TechCrunch