NAGOYA –
Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker’s efforts to expand driverless transportation services.
Waymo, which already operates autonomous taxi services in the United States, will work with Toyota to introduce Level 4 autonomous vehicles capable of operating without a human driver under specified conditions, such as within designated geographic areas.
According to Toyota, the service is scheduled to begin during 2027, although the companies have yet to determine where the vehicles will operate. Details of the initial service areas and operating conditions will be considered in the coming months.
The autonomous taxis will use Toyota’s bZ4X electric vehicles, which will be manufactured at the company’s Takaoka Plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.
Toyota Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima emphasized the company’s ambition to make transportation more accessible, saying, “We want to deliver freedom of mobility to people in as many regions as possible.”
The initiative is expected to expand beyond its initial operating areas over the next several years, with Toyota planning to introduce its autonomous taxis into overseas markets where Waymo is expanding its operations, including the United Kingdom.
The collaboration builds on a strategic partnership announced by Toyota and Waymo in April 2025 to jointly develop autonomous driving technologies and promote their wider adoption.
By combining Toyota’s vehicle manufacturing capabilities with Waymo’s experience operating commercial driverless taxi services, the companies aim to bring autonomous transportation to a broader range of communities.
Toyota’s decision to use the domestically produced bZ4X also establishes a manufacturing base in Japan for vehicles intended to serve an expanding international autonomous taxi market.
Source: CBC Television News from Japan
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: newsonjapan.com
