Toyota and Waymo announced Oct. 30, 2026, that they will begin testing and validating an autonomous Toyota bZ4X fleet in Japan in 2027, pairing vehicle manufacturing with driverless technology for a planned international expansion.
The companies said deployment to the United Kingdom and other markets served by Waymo is planned for subsequent years. Woven by Toyota said commercial service would follow the initial Japanese operations; the announcements did not give a commercial launch date.
Manufacturing and integration under one roof
Toyota will build the vehicles at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Japan. According to the companies, production will combine assembly of the base vehicle and installation of Waymo’s autonomous-driving hardware at the same site.
That arrangement gives the partnership a defined production location as it advances beyond the preliminary agreement announced in April 2025. The announcement did not specify fleet size, vehicle pricing or financial terms.
The purpose-built bZ4X will have automatic doors, a power liftgate and ambient lighting, the companies said. They described the features as intended to improve passenger access and comfort.
Fleet plans and personal vehicles remain separate
Toyota and Waymo also said they will continue exploring autonomous-driving technology for personally owned Toyota vehicles. That work remains exploratory, rather than an announced consumer product or delivery schedule.
Woven by Toyota said it would explore how operational data and technology could support other road users. Separately, it is investigating links between Toyota vehicles and traffic infrastructure.
For the businesses, the immediate development is a manufacturing and testing plan. The 2027 milestone should not be read as a confirmed date for commercial robotaxi rides or consumer availability.