Toyota, Waymo set 2027 Japan AV trials

Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Alphabet’s Waymo plan to begin testing autonomous electric vehicles in Japan in 2027 using Toyota’s bZ4X model. The initiative marks a new phase in their autonomous-driving collaboration, with Japan serving as the first deployment market for the new vehicles. The partners also plan deployment in Britain and potentially other markets in subsequent years, positioning the program as a step toward broader international rollout.

The vehicles for the Japan tests will be built at Toyota’s Takaoka plant in central Japan. At this facility, Toyota will assemble the bZ4X models while Waymo’s autonomous-driving hardware is installed, integrating the automaker’s electric SUV platform with the technology group’s self-driving systems.

Initial operations in Japan are expected to involve a small number of vehicles. The companies have not disclosed how many bZ4Xs will be deployed at the outset, nor have they specified which areas in Japan will host the first services. This limited-scale launch is intended to provide experience operating autonomous bZ4X vehicles in Japan before broader opportunities are pursued.

Toyota’s chief technology officer Hiroaki Nakajima noted that the automaker also produces left-hand-drive vehicles, including the bZ4X. However, the current plan is to focus first on right-hand-drive operations in Japan, using that experience as a foundation for expansion into other markets.

Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov said the partnership will start with right-hand-drive markets in Japan and the UK. Deployment in Britain is planned in the years following the Japan launch, with the broader vision to extend operations beyond these initial markets over time. No additional countries, specific timelines, or detailed roll-out schedules have been announced.

Dolgov described the collaboration with Toyota and the use of the bZ4X model as a way to move Waymo’s autonomous-driving technology toward large-scale commercial operation. By combining Toyota’s manufacturing capacity with Waymo’s hardware and software, the companies aim to establish a platform that can be replicated in multiple geographies once the initial tests are completed.

Alongside the bZ4X program, Waymo is continuing to test Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Japan. A pilot using these vehicles is still planned for 2027, meaning that two different vehicle platforms are expected to be active in Waymo’s Japanese autonomous-driving efforts in the same year. The coexistence of the bZ4X and Jaguar I-PACE programs broadens the range of vehicles within Waymo’s testing portfolio in the country.

Toyota and Waymo had previously announced in April 2025 that they would explore collaborating on the development of a new autonomous vehicle platform. The 2027 bZ4X testing program in Japan, with planned expansion to Britain and other markets, builds on that earlier announcement by specifying the vehicle model, manufacturing site, and initial deployment markets for their joint autonomous-driving initiative.