Why it matters: The companies say the plan is a step toward Japan's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service using high-volume, domestically manufactured vehicles, pairing a major automaker's factories with Waymo's driverless technology.
Toyota Motor Corporation and Waymo announced on Oct 30 the next phase of their self-driving partnership: the two companies will begin initial operations to test and validate an autonomous Toyota bZ4X fleet in Japan in 2027. The vehicles are meant for Waymo's ride-hailing service, according to the release, which says deployment to the United Kingdom and other markets Waymo serves is planned for the following years.
Where the cars get built: Toyota will make the vehicles at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The companies say the whole process happens under one roof, from assembling the base vehicle to fitting Waymo's autonomous driving hardware.
- The vehicle: Toyota describes a custom-outfitted bZ4X with extra rear legroom, automatic doors, a power liftgate and ambient lighting to make getting in and out easier.
- The goal: the companies call the plan a milestone toward Japan's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service using high-volume, domestically manufactured vehicles, and say they want to scale what they describe as "safety-validated Level 4 autonomous vehicles" around the world.
How it got here: the release says the deal builds on a preliminary agreement announced in April 2025. Toyota and Waymo also say they will keep exploring self-driving technology for privately owned Toyota cars, and will look with Woven by Toyota at how data from Waymo's operations could improve safety for other road users.
What the companies say: "In areas where Waymo operates, we've demonstrated that we are up to 20x safer than human drivers when it comes to serious crash injuries," Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov said in the release. That figure is Waymo's own claim. Toyota board member Hiroki Nakajima said in the same release: "Safety technology makes the biggest difference when it reaches as many people as possible."
The release does not give fleet sizes, cities in Japan or the financial terms of the deal.
Sources
- Toyota Motor Corporation: "Toyota and Waymo Advance Autonomous Driving Collaboration for Safer Streets and Freedom of Movement for All," Oct 30, 2026
- Toyota Europe newsroom: same release, Oct 30, 2026
How we checked this: We read Toyota Motor Corporation's Oct 30, 2026 news release on its global newsroom and the same release on Toyota Europe's newsroom, in copies saved on Oct 31, 2026 at about 7:56 AM ET, and checked every date, place and quote against them.
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