Waymo picks the Toyota bZ4X as its next robotaxi, with a Japan test fleet in 2027
From the Robots digest for Oct 30, 2026
What happened: Waymo is adding the Toyota bZ4X to its robotaxi lineup. Toyota will build a custom version of the electric SUV with the Waymo Driver integrated on the assembly line in Japan, and a test fleet will start operating there in 2027. It is the first concrete vehicle to come out of the Waymo–Toyota partnership signed last year, and gives Waymo a Japanese-built car for its Tokyo launch, with the UK and other markets to follow.
What's genuinely new: a named production vehicle with a build arrangement — a custom bZ4X with the Waymo Driver integrated on the line in Japan — plus a dated 2027 start for the Tokyo test fleet.
Watch: the custom build and line integration, what the 2027 Tokyo test fleet produces, and when public service starts in Japan.
Links: Electrek · Oct 30, 9:22 AM ET