Waymo and Japanese Partners Target Tokyo Driverless Taxi Service in 2027
· Technology · Economic Times, channelnewsasia, CNA
Alphabet's autonomous driving unit Waymo, Japanese app operator GO, and taxi firm Nihon Kotsu plan to launch Japan's first fully autonomous commercial taxi service in Tokyo in 2027. The companies intend to start with a small fleet before expanding to approximately 100 vehicles across key Tokyo neighbourhoods, pending regulatory approvals and technology validation. Once validated, the service will operate completely without drivers and remain accessible through both the GO and Waymo applications. This initiative follows Waymo's data-collection efforts in Tokyo starting in 2025 using human-driven Jaguar I-PACE vehicles. The project aims to address Japan's severe driver shortage and ongoing population decline.
Why it matters
The introduction of commercial robotaxis in Tokyo establishes a major international precedent for autonomous vehicle deployment in dense, regulated metropolitan markets outside the United States.
Read the original report — Economic Times
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