Toyota and Waymo to start testing driverless bZ4X robotaxis in Japan in 2027

Toyota will build the vehicles and fit Waymo's self-driving hardware at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, the companies said. They described the plan as a step toward Japan's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service using domestically manufactured vehicles, and TechCrunch reported that Waymo intends to eventually run a robotaxi service in Japan.

The deal builds on a preliminary agreement the two companies announced in April 2025. They said they will also keep exploring autonomous driving technology for personally owned Toyota vehicles, Kyodo and TechCrunch reported.

Why it matters: Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov called Japan a key international market. TechCrunch reported that Waymo plans to use the bZ4X in right-hand-drive countries such as the UK, where it has been testing in London.