Summary
Toyota and Waymo plan to begin testing and validating an autonomous bZ4X fleet in Japan in 2027. The companies describe this as an initial test phase, with deployments in the UK and other Waymo-serviced markets planned for later years.
Toyota and Waymo said on October 30, 2026, that they plan to begin testing and validating a fleet of autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan in 2027. The companies describe this as an initial phase of their collaboration, not as the start of a public ride-hailing service in Japan that year. Deployments in the United Kingdom and other markets where Waymo operates are planned for subsequent years.
The next phase builds on a preliminary agreement announced in April 2025. The companies say their aim is to combine Toyota’s vehicle development and manufacturing capabilities with Waymo’s autonomous-driving technology to scale Level 4 vehicles. Level 4 automation is designed to perform the driving task without continuous human control, within the conditions for which the system is designed.
What the Japan phase involves
Toyota will build the vehicles at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The companies say the process will run under one roof, from assembly of the base vehicle through integration of Waymo’s autonomous-vehicle hardware. That makes vehicle production and hardware integration part of the same manufacturing process for this fleet.
The custom-equipped bZ4X is also being designed around passenger entry and comfort. Toyota and Waymo cite generous rear legroom, automatic doors, a power liftgate and ambient lighting. These features are intended to make getting into and out of the vehicle easier, including for riders who may find conventional vehicle access difficult.
The announcement does not set out a public-service launch date for Japan. Its stated 2027 milestone is testing and validation; the companies place deployment in the UK and other Waymo-serviced markets in the following years. That distinction matters because a vehicle being tested for autonomous operation is not the same as a ride-hailing service being available to passengers.
Plans beyond the fleet
Toyota and Waymo will continue exploring autonomous-driving technology for personally owned Toyota vehicles. They also plan to work with Woven by Toyota on other safety initiatives, including exploring how insights from Waymo’s real-world operations and data could contribute to safety for other road users.
The partnership therefore has two stated directions: developing an autonomous fleet for ride-hailing and examining whether lessons from those operations can inform safety work beyond the fleet. The companies have not provided a detailed timetable for those additional initiatives.