The Toyota bZ4X, an SUV, is now joining the Jaguar I-Pace, Ojai (Zeekr), and Hyundai Ioniq 5—the vehicle platforms currently used by Waymo. Toyota and Waymo announced a partnership aimed at bringing the first bZ4X vehicles equipped with Waymo Driver to Tokyo’s streets as a robotaxi fleet by 2027. Toyota will build the vehicles at its plant in Takaoka, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The entire process will take place under one roof, from the assembly of the base vehicle to the installation of Waymo’s AV hardware. In 2028, these vehicles are expected to first join the robotaxi fleets in London and other cities. In Tokyo itself, Waymo has been conducting tests with the Jaguar I-Pace since 2025.
This partnership could also signal further collaborations with other automakers. Not least, it fuels speculation about a BMW platform for Waymo’s Munich robotaxi fleet.
At the same time, Toyota continues to pursue its strategy of integrating Waymo Driver—autonomous driving software for private passenger cars—into its own vehicles. It remains unclear what the future holds for Toyota’s subsidiary Woven Planet, as it was originally intended to develop precisely this software.
This article was also published in German.
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