Toyota's Takaoka plant in Japan, the factory that has built Corollas and Camrys for decades, is about to start producing a different kind of vehicle: a bZ4X electric crossover wired for self-driving. Waymo and Toyota announced on October 30 that the Alphabet-owned robotaxi company will integrate its autonomous driving system into the 2027 Toyota bZ4X, with testing set to begin in Japan next year and a parallel push into the United Kingdom, according to a TechCrunch report.
The deal builds on a preliminary agreement the two companies signed in April 2025 to explore autonomous vehicle platforms together. Toyota executive Hiroki Nakajima said the partnership "will help scale that technology and bring it to customers in Japan and beyond through Waymo's ride-hailing service." The companies also said they would explore bringing Waymo's driving system to personally owned Toyota vehicles, not just fleet vehicles used for ride-hailing.
Why Waymo Needs More Than One Car
Waymo has run its US robotaxi service almost entirely on Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, which it also uses for ongoing testing in London ahead of a UK launch once it secures the necessary permits. Adding the bZ4X gives Waymo a second vehicle platform and, critically, a manufacturing partner with existing factories in right-hand-drive markets, where Jaguar Land Rover's production capacity is more limited.
Pairing with a mainstream automaker rather than a luxury marque also signals Waymo's intent to cut the cost per vehicle as it scales beyond its current US markets. Toyota's global manufacturing scale and established supply chain for the bZ4X's battery platform give Waymo a path to higher production volumes than a boutique automaker could support, while Toyota avoids building a self-driving stack from scratch in-house.
A Robotaxi Market Getting More Crowded by the Month
Waymo's move comes as autonomous vehicle programs expand across multiple regions at once. In the UAE, Ras Al Khaimah's transport authority unveiled an autonomous mobility framework and testing sandbox the same day, expanding RoboTaxi trials beyond the Al Marjan Island pilot that began earlier in 2026. In Europe, Bolt, Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Volvo and Einride are all advancing robotaxi or automated freight programs of their own.
Japan is a particularly significant market for Waymo to enter through a domestic manufacturer. Regulatory approval for autonomous vehicles there has moved more cautiously than in the US, and partnering with Toyota, the country's largest automaker, gives Waymo political and logistical cover that an outside hardware supplier would lack.
No date has been set for commercial robotaxi service in either Japan or the UK. Testing of the bZ4X begins in 2027, with Toyota handling vehicle manufacturing at Takaoka and Waymo responsible for the autonomous driving stack, sensors and software layered on top of it.