The Waymo Toyota bZ4X is official. On October 30, 2026, Toyota and Waymo said they will start testing a small fleet of driverless bZ4X electric SUVs in Japan in 2027, with the United Kingdom and other Waymo markets to follow in later years.
Toyota will build the cars at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and fit Waymo’s self-driving hardware on the same site. It is the first real product from a partnership that, until today, was only an agreement to “explore” working together.
The story was picked up within hours by Reuters, Nikkei, Kyodo, The Verge, TechCrunch and Electrek. For Indian readers, there is a twist: Japan and the UK drive on the left, just like India.
What did Waymo and Toyota announce?
They announced the next phase of a partnership first signed in April 2025. Toyota will build a purpose-made version of the bZ4X electric SUV with the Waymo Driver installed on the factory line. A test and validation fleet starts in Japan in 2027, and the UK and other markets come later.
The joint statement calls it a step towards Japan’s first fully autonomous ride-hailing service using high-volume, domestically made vehicles. These are Level 4 cars, which means they can drive themselves without a human in certain areas and conditions.
Reuters reports that neither company would say how many cars will be used at first, or where in Japan they will run. Toyota’s Hiroki Nakajima said the first operations would involve a small number of vehicles.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base vehicle | Toyota bZ4X electric SUV, custom-built for ride-hailing |
| Self-driving system | Waymo Driver, Level 4 |
| Factory | Takaoka plant, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| First operations | Test and validation fleet in Japan, 2027 |
| Next markets | United Kingdom and other Waymo markets, later years |
| Rider features | Extra rear legroom, automatic doors, power liftgate, ambient lighting |
| Fleet size and cities | Not disclosed |
How is the Waymo Toyota bZ4X different from a normal bZ4X?
It is built for passengers, not owners. Toyota says the robotaxi version gets generous rear legroom, automatic doors, a power liftgate and ambient lighting to make getting in and out easier. Waymo’s sensors and computers are fitted on the Toyota assembly line, rather than added later at a separate site.
That second point is the bigger change. The Verge explains that Waymo has so far bought finished cars, shipped them to its own facility and retrofitted them with sensors, computers and extra wiring. Building it all in at the factory could cut labour, special brackets and extra shipping, and possibly lower costs.
Waymo has not shared sensor details, prices or production volumes. Electrek notes the bZ4X is no stranger to robotaxi work either. Toyota and Pony.ai began mass-producing bZ4X-based robotaxis in China earlier this year.
Why does Waymo need Toyota?
Waymo needs cars, and lots of them. Its US fleet is still built mostly on the Jaguar I-Pace, a model Jaguar no longer makes. Partnering with the world’s biggest carmaker gives Waymo a high-volume, right-hand-drive vehicle without building a factory, and it gives Toyota a proven self-driving partner.
According to Electrek, Waymo now gives more than 500,000 paid rides a week across 15 US metro areas. The bZ4X becomes its fourth vehicle platform.
| Waymo vehicle | Maker | Status, per reports |
|---|---|---|
| I-Pace | Jaguar | Main US fleet; model no longer produced |
| Ojai (RT) van | Zeekr | Being added to the fleet |
| Ioniq 5 | Hyundai | Being added; Hyundai reportedly in talks to supply up to 50,000 by 2028 |
| bZ4X | Toyota | Testing in Japan from 2027; UK later |
Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov said the company chose Toyota for the “legendary safety, reliability, and quality” of its cars. He also claimed Waymo is up to 20 times safer than human drivers for serious crash injuries in the areas where it runs. That is Waymo’s own figure.
Waymo Toyota bZ4X: what is confirmed and what is not
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| bZ4X test fleet in Japan in 2027 | Confirmed by Toyota and Waymo |
| Built and fitted at the Takaoka plant | Confirmed |
| UK and other Waymo markets later | Confirmed as a plan, no dates given |
| Number of cars and cities in Japan | Not disclosed |
| Price per vehicle and sensor details | Not disclosed |
| Waymo Driver in privately owned Toyotas | Being explored only; no product announced |
| Left-hand-drive versions for other markets | Not announced; Toyota says it wants experience in Japan first |
| Any plan for India | None announced |
Where does this leave Japan’s robotaxi race?
Japan is moving quickly after a slow start. Level 4 driving on public roads became legal in April 2023, Nikkei reports. Waymo already tests Jaguar I-Pace cars in Japan and still plans a pilot with them in 2027, while Nissan is preparing its own Tokyo robotaxi trial with Uber.
In September, Waymo said it was targeting fully driverless paid rides in Tokyo in 2027 with taxi operator Nihon Kotsu and the GO ride-hailing app, at a scale of about 100 vehicles, subject to approval. Today’s deal gives that plan a Japanese-built car.
Nikkei adds that Nissan’s trial will use a Leaf-based vehicle and is due to start in Tokyo in the second half of 2026. Toyota, meanwhile, is not betting on one partner. Kyodo notes it has a separate goal of giving its own cars technology in 2028 that needs only minimal driver input.
Nakajima told reporters at an online briefing, quoted by Kyodo, that the partnership could expand beyond taxis, “including commercial vehicles”.
What does this mean for India?
Nothing changes on Indian roads yet. Waymo has not announced any India plan, and Dolgov told Reuters there were no other countries or timelines to share. Still, India drives on the left, so a right-hand-drive robotaxi built by Toyota is the kind of vehicle that would suit Indian roads if that ever changes.
Toyota’s electric car for Indian buyers today is the Urban Cruiser Ebella, which comes with Level 2 driver assists, not self-driving. We covered it in our Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella guide. The bZ4X itself has been reported for an Indian launch by the end of 2026, with Business Today expecting ₹60 lakh to ₹65 lakh, but Toyota India has not confirmed it.
Robotaxis are also spreading through other partnerships. Our report on the Chery L4 robotaxi shows how Chinese carmakers are chasing the same business abroad.
CarBike Insight Analysis
This is a bigger deal than the bZ4X’s quiet image suggests. Waymo’s limit has never been software alone. It has been getting enough suitable cars, and Toyota builds more cars than anyone. A factory-fitted robotaxi from Toyota is a serious step towards scale.
It also sharpens the contrast with Tesla. Waymo keeps plugging its system into cars from established carmakers, while Tesla still sells driver-assist features that need full attention, a gap we discussed in our story on Tesla Assisted Driving.
Who should wait? Anyone hoping for a Waymo ride in India, or a self-driving Toyota in their own garage, should wait years. Neither has been announced. Who should not wait? Indian buyers who want a Toyota EV now. The Ebella is on sale, while the bZ4X India launch is still only a report.
FAQ
What is the Waymo Toyota bZ4X?
It is a custom version of Toyota’s bZ4X electric SUV fitted with the Waymo Driver self-driving system at Toyota’s Takaoka plant in Japan. It is built for robotaxi use, with extra rear legroom, automatic doors and a power liftgate.
When will the Waymo Toyota robotaxi start operating?
Toyota and Waymo will begin testing and validating a small fleet in Japan in 2027. Commercial service is planned to follow, and the UK and other Waymo markets will come in later years. No exact dates have been announced.
How many Waymo Toyota bZ4X cars will be built?
The companies have not said. Reuters reports that Toyota’s Hiroki Nakajima described the first operations as involving a small number of vehicles. Separately, Waymo’s Tokyo plan with Nihon Kotsu and GO targets about 100 vehicles.
Will Waymo robotaxis come to India?
No plan has been announced. Waymo’s co-CEO said the company is starting with right-hand-drive Japan and the UK and has no other countries or timelines to share. India also drives on the left, but that alone guarantees nothing.
Can I buy a self-driving Toyota with Waymo technology?
Not yet. Toyota and Waymo say they will keep exploring autonomous technology for privately owned Toyota cars, but no product, date or price has been announced. For now, the Waymo Driver is only for ride-hailing fleets.
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