Toyota and Waymo plan a 2027 Japan test using Toyota’s bZ4X electric vehicle, Reuters reported, with the companies yet to identify test sites or fleet size.
Reuters reported that Toyota would build the vehicles at its Takaoka plant and install Waymo’s autonomous-driving equipment there. Toyota Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima told Reuters the initial operation would involve a limited number of vehicles. The report gave no count or Japanese locations.
Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov told Reuters Japan and the UK were right-hand-drive markets the partners would start with. His comment did not specify whether “start” referred to vehicle testing or commercial service, and Reuters gave no UK timetable.
Waymo also told Reuters it still plans a 2027 Japan pilot using Jaguar I-PACE vehicles. The report did not describe how that pilot would relate to the bZ4X tests.
Toyota and Waymo announced a preliminary partnership in April 2025, opening discussions on an autonomous-vehicle platform and possible use of Waymo technology in future Toyota vehicles for individual owners. Woven by Toyota was to join the potential collaboration. The announcement did not name the bZ4X or set a testing schedule.
A separate effort involves Waymo, taxi operator Nihon Kotsu and ride-hailing platform GO, which aim to offer fully autonomous public rides in Tokyo in 2027. Waymo says the launch depends on national and local approvals and further checks of its technology and operations. It plans to begin with a limited fleet and add vehicles over time, with a longer-term target of about 100 in key neighborhoods. Waymo presents the service as a response to staffing pressures it expects as Japan’s population ages.
