# Toyota and Waymo Plan bZ4X Robotaxi Testing in Japan for 2027

Toyota will manufacture electric SUVs equipped with Waymo's autonomous driving hardware at its Takaoka plant, with initial testing in Japan scheduled for 2027 and international deployment planned for subsequent years.

- Canonical: https://reviewblip.com/news/waymo-toyota-bz4x-robotaxi-japan-uk-2027/
- Published: 2026-10-30T11:30:58.857Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T11:30:58.857Z
- Author: ReviewBlip
- Category: Computing
- Type: News

![White Toyota bZ4X electric SUV with Waymo branding and roof-mounted autonomous driving sensors, shown from a front three-quarter angle on a cable-stayed bridge with a city skyline in the background.](https://reviewblip.com/editorial-images/a837bdef477420f499d4cacdab37fa7906f909642ad56a360878a4f300838750)

Image credit: Not specified in Toyota's official image caption

Toyota and Waymo announced the next phase of their autonomous driving partnership on October 30, confirming plans to build specially equipped bZ4X electric SUVs for Waymo's robotaxi operations. Initial testing and validation of an autonomous bZ4X fleet are scheduled to begin in Japan in 2027, followed by planned deployment in the United Kingdom and other markets served by Waymo in subsequent years. The agreement establishes a vehicle platform, manufacturing location, and initial testing timetable for the companies' international expansion plans. The 2027 milestone concerns testing and validation, not a confirmed launch of commercial passenger service.

Toyota will manufacture the vehicles at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The company says the facility will handle the entire process, from assembling the base vehicle to integrating Waymo's autonomous driving hardware. Keeping those operations at one manufacturing location is part of the companies' approach to scaling production of vehicles equipped with Waymo's technology. Toyota and Waymo intend to use the partnership to expand deployment of safety-validated Level 4 autonomous vehicles, with the longer-term ambition of supporting a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Japan using domestically manufactured vehicles.

The autonomous bZ4X will include modifications intended to improve passenger comfort and accessibility. Toyota and Waymo identified generous rear legroom, automatic doors, a power liftgate, and ambient interior lighting as features of the customized vehicle. These changes distinguish the planned ride-hailing configuration from an ordinary consumer bZ4X and reflect the practical requirements of a vehicle designed to transport passengers without a conventional driver providing boarding assistance. The October 30 announcement does not specify how many vehicles Toyota will produce initially, what passengers might pay, or when commercial bookings will become available in Japan.

The manufacturing plan builds on a preliminary agreement announced on April 29, 2025. At that time, Toyota and Waymo said they would explore combining Toyota's vehicle development expertise with Waymo's autonomous driving technology. The new announcement identifies the bZ4X as the vehicle platform and the Takaoka factory as the production and hardware-integration site. The United Kingdom is among the intended future markets. According to TechCrunch, Waymo has already been testing autonomous Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in London and plans to introduce a commercial robotaxi service there after obtaining the necessary permits. The Toyota vehicle program and the existing London testing activity should not be confused with a confirmed public launch of bZ4X robotaxis.

The collaboration may eventually extend beyond commercial ride-hailing fleets, although neither company has announced a consumer product based on the new arrangement. Toyota and Waymo say they will continue exploring autonomous driving technology for personally owned Toyota vehicles. Alongside Woven by Toyota, they also plan to investigate road safety initiatives that could draw on Waymo's operational experience, data, and technology. Those broader projects remain exploratory, with no announced consumer-vehicle launch date or detailed implementation schedule.

The announcement gives Waymo a defined manufacturing partner for a new autonomous vehicle platform intended for operations outside the United States, while providing Toyota with a role in deploying commercial Level 4 driving technology. What happens next depends on the results of testing and validation, further deployment decisions, and applicable regulatory requirements. For now, the confirmed development is a manufacturing and testing plan: autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles are expected to begin initial operations in Japan in 2027, but the companies have not announced when the public will be able to ride in them.

## Sources
- [Toyota and Waymo Advance Autonomous Driving Collaboration for Safer Streets and Freedom of Movement for All](https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/44960881.html)
- [Waymo and Toyota Outline Strategic Partnership to Advance Autonomous Driving Deployment](https://waymo.com/blog/2025/04/waymo-and-toyota-outline-strategic-partnership/)
- [Waymo taps Toyota to supply robotaxis for Japan and the U.K.](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/30/waymos-next-robotaxi-will-be-a-toyota-bz4x-destined-for-japan-and-the-uk/)
- [Toyota and Waymo Advance Autonomous Driving Collaboration for Safer Streets and Freedom of Movement for All](https://blog.waymo.com/blog/2026/10/toyota-bz4x-partnership/)