Waymo has found its next robotaxi, and it is made by Toyota. The two companies announced on Friday, October 30, that the 2027 Toyota bZ4X electric vehicle will carry Waymo’s self-driving system, with testing in Japan set for 2027 and the UK among the later markets, according to TechCrunch and Engadget.
How the vehicles will be built. Toyota will manufacture the bZ4X units at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and integrate Waymo’s autonomous driving hardware there, according to the reports. The bZ4X is Toyota’s electric SUV, sold as the bZ in North America. In a joint statement, the companies said combining Toyota’s manufacturing and vehicle development with Waymo’s autonomous technology would help accelerate scaling of safety-validated Level 4 autonomous vehicles globally. Level 4 means a vehicle can drive itself in defined areas without a human taking over.
Where and when. Waymo plans to start testing autonomous bZ4X vehicles in Japan in 2027, and says it intends to eventually run a robotaxi service there. The vehicles are also meant for other right-hand-drive countries, such as the UK, according to TechCrunch. Engadget says the UK and other right-hand-drive markets would follow in the years after Japan. Neither report gives a date for a commercial launch of the bZ4X fleet.
The groundwork already laid. Waymo has tested Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in London for months, according to TechCrunch, and plans to launch a robotaxi service there once it gets the necessary permits. Engadget reports that Waymo began testing Jaguar robotaxis in Japan in 2025, with drivers from Tokyo taxi company Nihon Kotsu driving around Tokyo to train the software, and that it plans a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Tokyo in 2027. The Toyota vehicles would add a second model to Waymo’s lineup.
How this builds on the earlier deal. Toyota and Waymo signed a preliminary agreement in April 2025 to explore an autonomous vehicle platform. TechCrunch’s author described that earlier agreement as vague, and characterized the new arrangement for now as a conventional supplier deal that helps Waymo meet regional needs. The companies say they will keep exploring bringing Waymo’s technology to personally owned Toyota vehicles, which would go beyond robotaxis, though no plans or timeline were given.
What Toyota said. Toyota executive vice president Hiroki Nakajima said the collaboration will help scale the technology and bring it to customers in Japan and beyond, according to TechCrunch. Nakajima added that Toyota will keep exploring how linking vehicles to traffic infrastructure can make roads safer. TechCrunch’s article did not include a separate Waymo statement.
Why it matters. Robotaxis need a steady supply of purpose-built or adapted vehicles, and a major carmaker building them at scale is a different proposition from retrofitting cars one at a time. For readers in the UK, where Waymo says it is waiting on permits, the news suggests the company is planning for a larger fleet there, although neither report gives a UK launch date. In the US, it adds another sign that self-driving companies are lining up manufacturing partners.
What to watch. Look for the start of bZ4X testing in Japan in 2027, any UK permit decision, and whether the two companies expand their work to cars owned by individuals.
Sources: TechCrunch and Engadget. Details are as reported by those outlets and the companies’ joint statement.
Waymo One Jaguar I-PACE robotaxi (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
