Toyota and Waymo Plan Japan Tests of Factory-Built Robotaxi in 2027

Toyota and Waymo plan to begin testing and validating an autonomous Toyota bZ4X fleet in Japan in 2027, with the vehicles built and fitted with self-driving hardware at the same Japanese factory.

The companies announced the next phase of their partnership on October 30. The initial Japanese operations are for testing and validation, not a confirmed commercial robotaxi launch for the public.

Toyota will manufacture the electric vehicles at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The factory will handle the full process, from assembling the base vehicle to integrating Waymo's autonomous-driving hardware.

Deployment in the United Kingdom and other markets served by Waymo is planned for the following years. The companies did not announce a public-service launch date, fleet size or fares in the release.

The custom-equipped bZ4X is designed with more rear legroom, automatic doors, a power liftgate and ambient lighting. Toyota and Waymo say the collaboration is intended to help scale safety-validated Level 4 autonomous vehicles.

The project builds on a preliminary agreement announced in April 2025. Alongside their work on ride-hailing vehicles, the companies say they will continue exploring how autonomous-driving technology could be used in personally owned vehicles.