Tokyo, Oct. 30 (Jiji Press)–Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday that it will launch the first driverless taxis in Japan in 2027, in partnership with Waymo LLC, a unit of U.S. technology giant Alphabet Inc. The taxis will operate at Level 4 autonomous driving, under which a system handles all driving operations under specified conditions. Waymo’s self-driving system will be installed in Toyota’s bZ4X electric vehicles, which will be produced at the automaker’s Takaoka Plant in the city of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. Toyota plans to market these vehicles in Britain, where right-hand-drive cars are the norm, as in Japan. Toyota also plans to start manufacturing passenger cars with a self-driving system in 2028 by utilizing self-developed artificial intelligence technology. Regarding the collaboration with Waymo, Toyota Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima said that it will significantly advance technological development. Waymo also plans to collaborate with Tokyo-based Go Inc. and Nihon Kotsu Co. to launch new services in Tokyo in 2027. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
