Toyota and Waymo Unveil Partnership Plan; Custom bZ4X to Begin Autonomous Driving Tests in Japan in Early 2027

In late October 2026, Toyota and Waymo jointly announced a collaboration plan to integrate the installation process of Waymo's sixth-generation autonomous driving system into the mass production line of the bZ4X all-electric SUV at Toyota's Takaoka plant. The plan adopts a body-integrated design, replacing the previous approach of first building the complete vehicle and then disassembling it to install sensors. These customized vehicles are scheduled to begin small-scale autonomous driving testing in Japan in early 2027, with testing coverage to be gradually expanded thereafter. Toyota will supply customized models for Waymo's Robotaxi fleet and explore adapting Waymo's autonomous driving technology to Toyota's next-generation consumer passenger vehicle products. In the Chinese market, the Robotaxi jointly developed by Toyota-invested Pony.ai and Toyota has been rolling off the production line since February 2026; Toyota, as the lead investor in Momenta's Series C round, has equipped the latest models of its GAC Toyota subsidiary with Momenta's end-to-end intelligent driving solution. In Japan, Toyota has invested in Tier IV, an autonomous driving software company incubated by Nagoya University, providing L4-level technical support for its e-Palette autonomous shuttle bus.