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Waymo to build robotaxis on Toyota bZ4X line in Japan

Self-driving sensors will be fitted during assembly. Testing in Japan is set for 2027, with the UK and other markets to follow.

By idly desk · from 5 reports · · 1 min read
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Image: TechCrunch

The gist

Story
  • Waymo will use Toyota bZ4X electric SUVs as robotaxis, built at a Toyota plant in Japan.
  • Self-driving hardware will be installed during assembly rather than added to finished cars later.
  • A test fleet is planned for Japan in 2027, starting with Tokyo, with the UK and others to follow.

In this story

  • Product

    Toyota bZ4X

    Mentioned in this story

What's new

Waymo has said it will use Toyota's bZ4X electric SUV as a robotaxi in Japan. The cars will be built at Toyota's Takaoka plant in Japan, with Waymo's self-driving sensors and computers fitted during production. A test fleet is expected to run in Japan in 2027, with Tokyo as the first target. The plan builds on a partnership the two companies announced in April 2025.

Why it matters

For riders, this points to driverless taxis arriving in Japanese cities within a few years. Because the cars are built to self-drive from the factory, they are not retrofitted vehicles. Right-hand-drive markets such as the UK are also named as future targets, which could widen access to the service.

What others say

The Verge, TechCrunch, Motor1, Engadget and Electrek all report the same core plan. Motor1 adds that right-hand-drive markets come before any private-vehicle plans. Electrek says the bZ4X is the first vehicle to emerge from the partnership.

What we don't know yet

The sources do not give prices, fares, the number of cars, or the exact Tokyo launch date. They also do not say how regulators will respond to driverless operation in Japan.

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