Waymo’s next robotaxi is a purpose-built Toyota bZ4X

The robotaxis will be built entirely under one roof at Toyota’s Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Instead of building regular cars and modifying them later, the factory will install Waymo’s self-driving sensors and computers right on the assembly line as each car is made.

A team-up between the world’s largest automaker and the world’s leader in autonomous driving obviously has huge implications. Currently, Waymo uses two vehicle models on the road today — the Jaguar I-Pace and Zeekr RT — with a third based on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 set to deploy soon. By adding the bZ4X, Waymo is attempting to prove that its autonomous driving technology is compatible with a wide-range of vehicle types. Waymo has long positioned itself as a software and systems supplier — the “Waymo Driver” — rather than an automaker.

This also represents a shift in terms of how Waymo acquires and modifies the vehicles that end up in its fleet. Up until now, the company was doing things the hard way by buying a finished car from a factory, shipping it to a separate facility, and retrofitting it with sensors, computers, and extra wiring. The decision to build the sensor suite and compute into the bZ4X on Toyota’s own assembly line could help eliminate redundant labor, bespoke brackets, and secondary shipping — and possibly bring down costs for Waymo.

Waymo says it will begin initial testing and validation in Japan starting next year. Following that, the new vehicles will roll out to the United Kingdom, in addition to other international markets, for robotaxi operations.

Waymo also says it is continuing to explore integrating its technology into Toyota vehicles for personally owned autonomous vehicles. And the company is working with Woven by Toyota, the automaker’s software and mobility spinout, to use Waymo’s operational and safety telemetry to improve road safety across general vehicle fleets and traffic infrastructure.