Waymo
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Waymo selects Toyota bZ4X as next robotaxi, with a Japan test fleet due in 2027
Toyota will build a custom version of the electric bZ4X SUV at its Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, with the Waymo Driver installed and integrated on the same site rather than retrofitted elsewhere. A test fleet will begin operating in Japan in 2027 to test and validate the vehicles, with the UK and other Waymo markets to follow later and no dates given. It is the first vehicle to emerge from the partnership announced in April 2025, and Waymo did not share sensor specifications, unit volumes or per vehicle costs.
Why it matters
A Japanese built robotaxi with factory integrated autonomy points to a future fleet charging load in Tokyo and later the UK, though without volumes or dates it is too early to size depot demand. CPOs and depot developers should treat it as a signal for fleet focused charging, not yet a firm pipeline.