Waymo's next robotaxi will be a Toyota. On Friday the two companies announced the next phase of a partnership first sketched out in April 2025: Toyota will build electric bZ4X vehicles fitted with Waymo's self-driving hardware at its Takaoka plant in Japan, and Waymo will begin testing them there in 2027. For British readers, the line that matters comes next. Toyota's own release says deployment to the United Kingdom and other Waymo markets is planned for "the following years".
What was announced
According to Toyota's press release, the vehicles will be built in Toyota City, in Aichi Prefecture, with the whole process "under one roof", from assembling the base car to integrating Waymo's autonomous-driving hardware. Toyota and Waymo describe the aim as scaling "safety-validated Level 4" vehicles, meaning cars that drive themselves within defined areas without a human needing to monitor the road.
The custom bZ4X is also designed with passengers in mind. Toyota points to generous rear legroom, automatic doors, a power liftgate and ambient lighting to make getting in and out easier. The first operations, in 2027, will test and validate the fleet in Japan, where Waymo intends to launch what the companies call Japan's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service using high-volume, domestically manufactured vehicles.
TechCrunch notes that the 2025 agreement was vague, firmly in the "let's see what happens" category. This announcement is far more concrete. TechCrunch's reading is that, for now, the deal looks more like a conventional vehicle supplier arrangement that helps Waymo fill specific regional needs, while adding a second model to its robotaxi line-up.
Why the right-hand-drive point matters
TechCrunch reports that the intention is to deploy the autonomous bZ4X in other right-hand-drive countries, naming the UK. That is a practical point as much as a strategic one. Britain drives on the left, and a purpose-built, factory-integrated vehicle is a very different proposition from a car converted after it leaves the production line. Waymo has been testing autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London for months, and TechCrunch says it plans to launch a robotaxi service in the capital once it receives the necessary permits.
In other words, the Jaguar cars on London's roads today are the testing fleet, while the Toyota is being lined up as the vehicle that could carry Waymo's service at scale. Neither Toyota nor Waymo has given a date for the UK, and neither has said how many vehicles will come here. The only timetable in the release is Japan in 2027, with the UK "in the following years".
What the companies said
Dmitri Dolgov, Waymo's co-CEO, said Toyota's commitment to zero traffic accidents "resonates deeply" with Waymo. He repeated the company's claim that where it operates it is "up to 20x safer than human drivers when it comes to serious crash injuries", and said Waymo chose Toyota for its safety, reliability and quality. As ever, that figure is Waymo's own, and should be read as the company's claim rather than independent verification.
Hiroki Nakajima, a Toyota board member and executive vice president, said Toyota was grateful that Waymo, which "helped pioneer fully autonomous driving technology", had chosen it. He added that Toyota would keep exploring how integrating vehicles with traffic infrastructure could make roads safer still, and that "no single company can achieve the goal of zero traffic accidents alone".
Beyond robotaxis
The release also leaves a door open to private cars. Toyota and Waymo say they will continue to explore bringing Waymo's autonomous technology to personally owned Toyota vehicles. Alongside Woven by Toyota, the carmaker's software arm, they will look at further initiatives that use insights from Waymo's real-world operations to improve safety for other road users. TechCrunch points out that what this means is unclear. For now it is an intention, not a product, and nothing in the announcement suggests a self-driving Toyota you can buy is imminent.
The UK angle
Britain is at an unusual point in the robotaxi story. As we explained in our guide to the Automated Vehicles Act, a truly driverless ride is not yet available anywhere in Britain. London riders can already be matched with a Wayve-powered Ford Mustang Mach-E through Uber, but a licensed driver stays behind the wheel. Fully driverless operation with an empty driving seat would need the separate operator licensing regime the Act creates.
Waymo's arrival would add a heavyweight to a market where British company Wayve and Uber are already running supervised trials. The Toyota deal suggests Waymo is planning for the long haul, building a vehicle pipeline for markets such as the UK rather than simply adapting what it has. It also shows that the company expects to need a mass-market carmaker's manufacturing muscle to expand abroad.
Politics will still decide the pace. Transport for London says any automated passenger service in the capital can only operate with its consent, and taxi and private hire drivers have already protested outside Wayve's King's Cross offices. A London Assembly committee has warned that driverless taxis could worsen congestion and threaten jobs. Waymo's permits, when it applies for them, will be judged against that backdrop. Waymo's expansion elsewhere, such as its plan to bring a driverless service to Toronto, shows how much each new city depends on local rules and public opinion.
What's next
The next concrete milestone is 2027, when testing of the bZ4X fleet starts in Japan. That will show how quickly Toyota can turn out vehicles from Takaoka and whether the integrated design delivers on its promises of comfort and accessibility. The UK follows later, and only once Waymo has the permits it needs, which no one has yet confirmed.
For UK readers, the sensible expectation is gradual progress: more testing, more consultation with TfL and a long runway before anyone hails a driverless Waymo in London. But the vehicle that could one day do it now has a name, a factory and a maker with a reputation for reliability, and that is a bigger step than any previous announcement from the pair.