TOYOTA AND WAYMO COLLABORATE ON AUTONOMOUS DRIVING TECHNOLOGY

Toyota Motor Corporation has signed a preliminary agreement with Waymo, a U.S. leader in autonomous driving technology, to explore joint development of self-driving car systems, as announced this week.

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The partnership focuses on creating a new autonomous vehicle platform and advancing technology for personally owned vehicles, positioning Japan's largest automaker to strengthen its presence in the self-driving sector. For automakers, technology developers, and potential users, this collaboration highlights Toyota's strategy to integrate advanced autonomous capabilities, leveraging Waymo's expertise to enhance mobility and safety.

The deal involves Toyota's automotive-technology division, Woven, and aims to incorporate Waymo's fully autonomous driving system, the Waymo Driver, into Toyota's vehicles.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has operated driverless ride-hailing services in cities like San Francisco and Phoenix since 2017, logging over 20 million autonomous miles. Toyota, with global sales of 10.3 million vehicles in 2024, seeks to align with its safety and accessibility goals, as stated by Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima.

No specific timeline or financial terms were disclosed, with the agreement centered on exploratory product development.

AGREEMENT SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES

Toyota and Waymo are collaborating to develop an autonomous vehicle platform, potentially integrating the Waymo Driver into Toyota's models for ride-hailing and personal use. Woven, Toyota's software and technology arm, will work to adapt Waymo's autonomous system to Toyota's platforms.