Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027
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. (News On Japan)
Toyota Motor will commence operating self-driving taxis in 2027 via a collaboration with Waymo, a U.S.-based autonomous driving technology firm. The partnership intends to introduce Level 4 autonomous vehicles, which can function without human intervention under specific conditions, like within pre-defined regions. The service is planned to commence in 2027, although the exact locations have not been specified yet.
The autonomous taxis will utilize Toyota's electric bZ4X vehicles, manufactured at Toyota's Takaoka Plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Hiroki Nakajima, Toyota's Executive Vice President, expressed the company's goal to make transportation more accessible for people in as many regions as possible. This initiative is projected to expand to overseas markets, including the United Kingdom, where Waymo is broadening its operations.
The collaboration expands on a strategic agreement between Toyota and Waymo from April 2025, aimed at jointly developing autonomous driving technologies and fostering their wider adoption. By merging Toyota's manufacturing expertise with Waymo's experience in running commercial driverless taxi services, the companies intend to offer autonomous transportation to a larger number of communities.
Written by urgent.news from News On Japan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
