In brief
Toyota Motor Corp. and Waymo LLC announced a 2027 trial of fully driverless taxis in Japan, using Toyota’s bZ4X EVs to test and refine Level 4 autonomous driving technology. Production and equipment installation will be handled at Toyota’s plant in Toyota City, Aichi. The partners plan to commercialize the service after testing in countries where Waymo already operates, such as Britain.
Toyota Motor Corp. and Waymo LLC announced on Friday that they will launch a trial of fully driverless taxis in Japan in 2027.
The service will use Toyota’s bZ4X electric vehicles with Waymo’s Level 4 autonomous‑driving system installed at Toyota’s plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.
Production of the vehicles and installation of the autonomous equipment will take place at that plant, according to the companies.
Initial operations will focus on testing and validating the technology before it is commercialized.
Both companies say the trial is a step toward expanding Level 4 self‑driving cars under certain conditions.
While the trial’s exact route and number of vehicles are not disclosed, the partners plan to roll out taxis gradually in countries where Waymo already offers its service, including Britain.
The announcement follows a partnership earlier this year aimed at speeding up development and deployment of autonomous‑driving technology.
Drivers will not be present in the cars during the trial, making it a fully driverless service.
The partnership highlights the growing interest in autonomous taxi services as a potential growth sector for the auto industry.
