Waymo's Next Robotaxi Is a Toyota bZ4X (No Driver Included)

Waymo said on October 30, 2026 that Toyota will build its next robotaxi, the bZ4X, in Japan, with testing there in 2027 and the UK to follow.

White Waymo Toyota bZ4X robotaxi with self-driving sensors on a city highway

Toyota is the car people buy when they never want to think about their car again. Soon you won't even have to drive it.

Waymo, the self-driving company owned by Google's parent Alphabet, announced on October 30, 2026 that its next robotaxi will be a Toyota bZ4X, the electric SUV sold in North America as the bZ.

Toyota will build the cars at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Japan. And the clever part: Waymo's sensors and computers get fitted right there on the same line, not bolted on later in a separate workshop.

A test fleet starts driving in Japan in 2027. The UK and other Waymo markets come after that.

The taxi version gets extra rear legroom, automatic doors, a power tailgate and ambient lighting. So the back seat is now the best seat. Makes sense, there's nobody in the front one.

Why Toyota? Partly because Waymo's main car today is the Jaguar I-Pace, a model Jaguar has already stopped making. It's like your favorite snack getting discontinued. You start shopping for a backup fast.

Also, Japan and the UK both drive on the left. Anyone who has rented a car in London has walked to the wrong door at least once. At least the robot won't.

White Waymo Toyota bZ4X robotaxi with self-driving sensors driving past a city skyline

According to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Waymo has driven more than 300 million fully driverless miles and runs in 15 US cities. That's over 600 trips to the Moon and back, with nobody holding the wheel.

Personally, I think this is the smartest robotaxi move of the year. Tesla is betting on a futuristic Cybercab. Waymo picked the most sensible SUV on the planet and gave it a brain. Boring is exactly what I want from a car nobody is driving.

But careful: this is still a test. Waymo and Toyota haven't said how many cars, which Japanese cities, what a ride costs or when the UK gets them. Toyota reportedly says the first fleet will be small. And in London, Waymo is still waiting for permits for the Jaguars it already tests there.

For the other side of the robotaxi fight, read Tesla's Cybercab is going on sale.

Toyota built its name on cars that never break down. Now it has to build one that never needs you.

Photo: Waymo

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